Bayer Leverkusen defeated VfL Wolfsburg 0-2 in Bundesliga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 11 stage in the 2019 season. The match was played at Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg. M. Gräfe officiated the match. The full-time result capped a VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen meeting in Bundesliga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
BundesligaRecorded meetings: 11 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Bayer Leverkusen defeated VfL Wolfsburg 0-2 in Bundesliga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 11 stage in the 2019 season. The match was played at Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg. M. Gräfe officiated the match. The full-time result capped a VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen meeting in Bundesliga with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
BundesligaRecorded meetings: 11 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole (Picture: YouTube) Carlton Cole says Chelsea summer signing Morgan Rogers ‘messed up’ Arsenal’s transfer window by joining the Blues from Aston Villa. Rogers, 24, was heavily linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer and during England’s World Cup campaign. Mikel Arteta identified Rogers as one of his top targets to bolster a Gunners squad that won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final last season. Arsenal were believed to be leading the race to sign Rogers but Chelsea swooped in with an incredible £117m deal, making the West Brom academy graduate the most expensive British player in history. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Ex-England striker Cole believes Rogers’ decision to join Chelsea ‘messed up’ Arsenal’s transfer window and says the Gunners still need to sign another attacking midfielder who can play on the left. Arteta is a known admirer of Bradley Barcola but Arsenal are currently behind Liverpool in that particular transfer race as they are reluctant to meet PSG’s £140m asking price. ‘Arsenal’s squad depth is something else,’ West Ham hero and former Chelsea star Cole said on the Dressing Room podcast. Chelsea summer signing Morgan Rogers (Picture: Getty) ‘Bruno Guimaraes has come in – he’s a brilliant player – and I still think they probably want one more signing before the window shuts. ‘I know they’re still trying to do a little bit of business. I think they need another left-sided forward, they’re obvious in the running to sign Barcola – they need someone like that. ‘I think it was supposed to Morgan Rogers, he was supposed to go there, but he opted for Chelsea which messed up Arsenal because I think it was nearly done before Chelsea swooped in and he agreed to go there. Why Morgan Rogers chose Chelsea ‘I’m joining the biggest club in London,’ Rogers said at his Chelsea unveiling. ‘The way the club wants to go and how it wants to move forward, it is something that I want to be a part of and I think it was just perfect for me. ‘I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/DbFxKCfsDDX/?hl=en ‘I’ve heard that Barcola would prefer to go to Arsenal than Liverpool but Arsenal won’t pay the fee that’s required for him. Liverpool would still be a great place for him to flourish.’ While Cole believes Arsenal could do with securing one more major signing before the transfer deadline, he does expect the Gunners to retain their Premier League crown. Arteta’s side won the title by seven points last season and secured a statement 3-0 win over Manchester City in Sunday’s Community Shield. Mikel Arteta missed out on the England star (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m going to go with Arsenal to win the league ahead of Chelsea and Man City,’ Cole said when asked for his Premier League title prediction. ‘Arsenal have the best squad and if they get Victor Osimhen in as well they’re going to be flying. He will be up there for the Golden Boot if he goes to Arsenal. ‘But I think they’re still alright with what they’ve got at the moment. They just need to sort out that left-hand side. ‘Chelsea are an interesting one because they’ve got no European games, they haven’t got the Saturday-Tuesday fixture pill-up. ‘Xabi Alonso at the helm as well, he knows how to win games, he proved that at Bayer Leverkusen. ‘I just think that squad is very, very strong considering that don’t need to worry about European games. ‘I’ve put Man City third, I think they will find it tough without Pep Guardiola and Rodri, they’re going to find it hard.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Arsenal are on the brink of sealing another transfer (Picture: Getty) Visionhaus/Getty Images) Arsenal are poised to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa after a dramatic breakthrough in transfer talks. The Premier League champions are desperate to make reinforcements at the back with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba set to miss the start of the season through injury. Mikel Arteta has been eager to recruit a defender capable of offering cover at both right-back and centre-half with Konsa emerging as their top target. Arsenal have also explored a move for another England international in Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Having already lost Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Villa were determined to hold onto their defender and were thought to be asking for £60million for the 28-year-old. Arsenal saw an opening offer believed to be worth £30m rejected earlier this month. But The Athletic reports Arsenal are now closing in on a deal after positive talks at ‘ownership level’ to reduce the valuation gap. Arsenal have strengthened in midfield and attack with the signings of Bruno Guimareas and Christos Tzolis. Arsenal closing in on the England star (Picture: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire) Speaking after Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, Arteta underlined the need to strengthen at the back with key figures still sidelined. Asked whether his focus was now on defensive reinforcements after the arrival of Guimareas, Arteta said: ‘We know there are certain areas that through injuries we are weaker and we need to strengthen.‘We’re trying to do that and we’ve been trying to do that for weeks. Only when the opportunity is right for the club will we do it.’ Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title against newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday. Timber still recovering from a groin issue (Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Arteta will be without half of his first-choice back four with Timber and Saliba still sidelined. Timber has not started a game since March due to a groin injury, undergoing minor surgery last month. Arteta has spoken positively of he Netherlands international progress but he is still working his way back to full fitness behind the scenes. Saliba meanwhile is expected to miss the opening months of the campaign as a result of a back injury which flared up during the World Cup. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Udinese has rejected two separate approaches worth around €30 million each from Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund for teenage defender Matteo Palma, according to TuttoMercatoWeb. Both Bundesliga clubs made concrete offers for the centre-back this week, but Udinese has no plans to sell. TuttoMercatoWeb reports that proposals “in the region of €30 million” arrived from […] The post Udinese rejects Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund bids for Matteo Palma appeared first on SoccerNews.
Manchester United should have signed Joao Pedro, according to Michael Owen (Picture: Getty) Michael Owen says he is a ‘huge fan’ of Joao Pedro and Manchester United should have looked to sign the ‘unbelievable’ forward before he joined Chelsea. Pedro left Brighton to complete a £60million move to Chelsea 12 months ago and the 24-year-old went on to enjoy an impressive debut season in an otherwise wretched campaign for the club. The versatile attacker quickly established himself as the Blues’ first-choice centre-forward ahead of fellow summer signing Liam Delap and finished with 20 goals to his name in all competitions. No doubt still hurting after missing out on Brazil’s World Cup squad, he will be looking to get off on the right foot under new manager Xabi Alonso this coming season, starting against local rivals Fulham in a week’s time. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. After finishing down in tenth last term, Chelsea have no European football to contend with this time around – giving Alonso the luxury of being able to focus purely on domestic football over the coming weeks and months. According to Owen, this could prove massively beneficial for Alonso’s men, who he is backing to finish second in the top flight behind reigning champions Arsenal. Asked to name his favourites to challenge Arsenal, Owen told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast sponsored by Midnite: ‘Chelsea. This could be way off the mark but they’ve got no Europe at all and you see how important that has been over the years. It was brilliant for Manchester United last year. Owen has high hopes for Chelsea under new manager Alonso (Picture: The Good, The Bad & The Football) Pedro scored 20 goals for Chelsea last season (Picture: Getty) ‘This manager [Xabi Alonso] did something similar with an unfancied team in Germany [Bayer Leverkusen], he’s going to change a lot, they’ve bought well.’ Owen has high hopes for Chelsea’s all-star attack this season and believes Manchester United missed a trick not trying to sign Pedro before the Blues came in for the Brazilian last year. ‘I’m a huge Joao Pedro fan, I think he’s unbelievable. In fact, Manchester United should have bought him about four years ago when he was at Watford,’ the ex-England, United and Liverpool striker explained. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Xabi Alonso unveiled as new Chelsea manager","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/07\/13\/2914846474672192337\/480x270_MP4_2914846474672192337.mp4","description":"Xabi Alonso has been posing with his own Chelsea shirt as he holds his first press conference as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.","duration":"T30S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/07\/13\/17\/109989603-0-image-m-5_1783958963915.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-07-13T17:13:59+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘United had nobody up front for years and I thought, “That Joao Pedro”, I love him. ‘Him, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer as a front three… strange signings in Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson obviously.’ While acknowledging ‘question marks’ surrounding Robert Sanchez, Owen feels Chelsea could ‘catch
Edmond Tapsoba has been linked with a move away from Bayer Leverkusen this summer. The Burkina Faso International has done quite well in the Bundesliga, and he has the quality to succeed in the Premier League as well. Tapsoba has also been linked with Chelsea. Edmond Tapsoba could be an ideal defensive addition According to […] The post Manchester United and Tottenham make contact over €50m defender appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez could take Arsenal to ‘another level’, says Martin Keown (Picture: talkSPORT) Martin Keown says Julian Alvarez could be the calibre of player to take Arsenal to ‘another level’ and help bring the club’s wait for Champions League glory to an end. Arsenal have set out their stall across a busy summer transfer window, eager to strengthen on the back of their Premier League title triumph under Mikel Arteta last season. After activating their £35million option to sign Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis from Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners moved quickly to wrap up deals for Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis and free agent Illan Meslier. While there was disappointment as Arsenal fell short in their pursuit of top attacking target Vinicius Junior, the £75m arrival of Bruno Guimaraes came as a statement to the rest of the league that Arteta’s side are determined to build on their success. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. A comprehensive Community Shield victory over Manchester City on Sunday was further proof of this renewed desire within the group ahead of the new campaign, with new signings Tzolis and Guimaraes both impressing on their full debuts in Cardiff. But Arteta is reportedly determined to freshen up his attacking options before the transfer deadline and the English champions continue to be linked with potential big-money additions such as Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz. Former Arsenal and England defender Keown believes it could be time to revisit a possible deal for Atletico Madrid star Alvarez, though, despite Diego Simoene’s insistence that the striker is not for sale. Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Alvarez for some time (Picture: Getty) The Gunners prevailed over Manchester City to claim an 18th Community Shield title on Sunday (Picture: Getty) Asked if there could still be a ‘missing link’ in Arteta’s squad after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over City, Keown told talkSPORT’s Jim White: ‘We’re talking about key signings and what they do next. Obviously that’s an area… European dominance, never mind domestic dominance, the next step. ‘Of course, the two strikers are under pressure to make that happen. ‘It may be that someone like Alvarez [could be the man]. He’s a player that they looked at last season, they thought about bringing in and that could be the sort of player they’re looking at. ‘They need to decide. That’s the key at the moment, is the decisions. The ambition is there but they’ve got to make key signings at the right times. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta says Community Shield statement win proves Arsenal are 'ready for it'","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/17\/7779755569864816200\/480x270_MP4_7779755569864816200.mp4","description":"Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's desire \"to go straight again\" after Manchester City were overwhelmed 3-0 by the Premier League champions in the Community Shield.","duration":"T8M14S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/17\/07\/110678029-0-image-a-8_1786947795231.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-17T07:22:17+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.ad
With his penalty against Nashville SC, Lionel Messi has reached three consecutive misses from the 12 yards between Argentina and Inter Miami, tying the worst record in his career. Lionel Messi‘s return to Major League Soccer action was far from a dream night, as he failed to convert a penalty during Inter Miami‘s humbling 4-1 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday. The failed attempt marks his third consecutive missed penalty across competitions for club and with the Argentina national team, matching the longest spot-kick drought of his career. After Andy Najar put Nashville ahead in the 17th minute off an accurate cross from Elias Saad, Inter Miami pressed aggressively for an immediate equalizer. Following a lofted pass over the defense from Casemiro, Luis Suarez controlled the ball, cut back onto his left foot, and was brought down in the box by Jeisson Palacios after a mistimed tackle in the 22nd minute. Messi stepped up to the spot, using a stutter-step approach to try and freeze Brian Schwake. Though the goalkeeper committed early and dived to his right, Schwake managed to stick out his legs and make the save. Sergio Reguilon pounced on the rebound and slotted it into the back of the net, but the goal was quickly disallowed due to encroaching into the penalty area. Failing to convert from the spot against Nashville extends Messi’s current slide to three straight misses from 12 yards out. Saturday’s failure was also his second missed penalty in an Inter Miami shirt, with the first occurring back in September 2025 during a 3-0 regular-season defeat against Charlotte FC. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF takes a misses the penalty against Nashville SC. (Carly Mackler/Getty Images) The penalty miss against Nashville highlights a rare dip in execution for the Argentine legend when facing opposing goalkeepers from the spot. During the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, he dragged a penalty wide in a group-stage match against Austria, and had another attempt saved by Mostafa Shobeir in a round of 16 clash against Egypt, bringing his total to three straight failures. Despite the recent slump, Messi remains one of the premier dead-ball technicians in modern soccer history. Across 149 career penalty attempts for club and country, the forward has converted 114 times while missing 35, maintaining a respectable 76.5% conversion rate. When did Messi last miss three consecutive penalties? As the captain and primary penalty taker for both Inter Miami and Argentina, Messi naturally carries the responsibility whenever a spot kick is awarded. While this three-match slump is an unusual sight, it is not the first time he has endured a cold stretch from the spot. The only other time Lionel Messi missed three consecutive penalties was back in 2014 while playing for FC Barcelona and Argentina. That run began in an April 2014 match against Real Betis, where Antonio Adan saved a late attempt in the 86th minute. His next miss came that September in a 5-0 win over Levante UD when he fired completely wide, followed by an October friendly with Argentina where Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson stopped his 40th-minute effort. Messi ultimately snapped that 2014 drought in November during an international friendly against Croatia at Boleyn Ground, converting from the spot to secure a 2-1 victory. Inter Miami return to action next Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union, where Messi will look to end his current drought or risk setting an unprecedented personal low.
Belgian is the first non-Scot in role since Berti VogtsSFA welcomes ‘aggressive, front-foot style of play’The Scottish Football Association has appointed the Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke as manager. The 39-year-old, who was sacked by Monaco in June, will become the country’s first non-Scottish manager since Berti Vogts, who was in charge from 2002 to 2004.Clarke’s abrupt departure came after Scotland were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stage. He had signed a four-year contract extension immediately before the tournament. It quickly became clear the SFA would turn towards a foreign manager with the Danes Jon Dahl Tomasson and Kasper Hjulmand being linked with the position. Continue reading...
Newcastle United are exploring an ambitious move for Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane as Matthias Jaissle and sporting director Ross Wilson continue rebuilding a squad hit by major departures. The Magpies have lost Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, leaving Jaissle short of the attacking quality and established personalities previously central to […] The post Newcastle United scout £87m striker as Magpies look to make major statement appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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Former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole (Picture: YouTube) Carlton Cole says Chelsea summer signing Morgan Rogers ‘messed up’ Arsenal’s transfer window by joining the Blues from Aston Villa. Rogers, 24, was heavily linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer and during England’s World Cup campaign. Mikel Arteta identified Rogers as one of his top targets to bolster a Gunners squad that won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final last season. Arsenal were believed to be leading the race to sign Rogers but Chelsea swooped in with an incredible £117m deal, making the West Brom academy graduate the most expensive British player in history. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Ex-England striker Cole believes Rogers’ decision to join Chelsea ‘messed up’ Arsenal’s transfer window and says the Gunners still need to sign another attacking midfielder who can play on the left. Arteta is a known admirer of Bradley Barcola but Arsenal are currently behind Liverpool in that particular transfer race as they are reluctant to meet PSG’s £140m asking price. ‘Arsenal’s squad depth is something else,’ West Ham hero and former Chelsea star Cole said on the Dressing Room podcast. Chelsea summer signing Morgan Rogers (Picture: Getty) ‘Bruno Guimaraes has come in – he’s a brilliant player – and I still think they probably want one more signing before the window shuts. ‘I know they’re still trying to do a little bit of business. I think they need another left-sided forward, they’re obvious in the running to sign Barcola – they need someone like that. ‘I think it was supposed to Morgan Rogers, he was supposed to go there, but he opted for Chelsea which messed up Arsenal because I think it was nearly done before Chelsea swooped in and he agreed to go there. Why Morgan Rogers chose Chelsea ‘I’m joining the biggest club in London,’ Rogers said at his Chelsea unveiling. ‘The way the club wants to go and how it wants to move forward, it is something that I want to be a part of and I think it was just perfect for me. ‘I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/DbFxKCfsDDX/?hl=en ‘I’ve heard that Barcola would prefer to go to Arsenal than Liverpool but Arsenal won’t pay the fee that’s required for him. Liverpool would still be a great place for him to flourish.’ While Cole believes Arsenal could do with securing one more major signing before the transfer deadline, he does expect the Gunners to retain their Premier League crown. Arteta’s side won the title by seven points last season and secured a statement 3-0 win over Manchester City in Sunday’s Community Shield. Mikel Arteta missed out on the England star (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m going to go with Arsenal to win the league ahead of Chelsea and Man City,’ Cole said when asked for his Premier League title prediction. ‘Arsenal have the best squad and if they get Victor Osimhen in as well they’re going to be flying. He will be up there for the Golden Boot if he goes to Arsenal. ‘But I think they’re still alright with what they’ve got at the moment. They just need to sort out that left-hand side. ‘Chelsea are an interesting one because they’ve got no European games, they haven’t got the Saturday-Tuesday fixture pill-up. ‘Xabi Alonso at the helm as well, he knows how to win games, he proved that at Bayer Leverkusen. ‘I just think that squad is very, very strong considering that don’t need to worry about European games. ‘I’ve put Man City third, I think they will find it tough without Pep Guardiola and Rodri, they’re going to find it hard.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Arsenal are on the brink of sealing another transfer (Picture: Getty) Visionhaus/Getty Images) Arsenal are poised to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa after a dramatic breakthrough in transfer talks. The Premier League champions are desperate to make reinforcements at the back with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba set to miss the start of the season through injury. Mikel Arteta has been eager to recruit a defender capable of offering cover at both right-back and centre-half with Konsa emerging as their top target. Arsenal have also explored a move for another England international in Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Having already lost Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Villa were determined to hold onto their defender and were thought to be asking for £60million for the 28-year-old. Arsenal saw an opening offer believed to be worth £30m rejected earlier this month. But The Athletic reports Arsenal are now closing in on a deal after positive talks at ‘ownership level’ to reduce the valuation gap. Arsenal have strengthened in midfield and attack with the signings of Bruno Guimareas and Christos Tzolis. Arsenal closing in on the England star (Picture: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire) Speaking after Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, Arteta underlined the need to strengthen at the back with key figures still sidelined. Asked whether his focus was now on defensive reinforcements after the arrival of Guimareas, Arteta said: ‘We know there are certain areas that through injuries we are weaker and we need to strengthen.‘We’re trying to do that and we’ve been trying to do that for weeks. Only when the opportunity is right for the club will we do it.’ Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title against newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday. Timber still recovering from a groin issue (Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Arteta will be without half of his first-choice back four with Timber and Saliba still sidelined. Timber has not started a game since March due to a groin injury, undergoing minor surgery last month. Arteta has spoken positively of he Netherlands international progress but he is still working his way back to full fitness behind the scenes. Saliba meanwhile is expected to miss the opening months of the campaign as a result of a back injury which flared up during the World Cup. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Udinese has rejected two separate approaches worth around €30 million each from Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund for teenage defender Matteo Palma, according to TuttoMercatoWeb. Both Bundesliga clubs made concrete offers for the centre-back this week, but Udinese has no plans to sell. TuttoMercatoWeb reports that proposals “in the region of €30 million” arrived from […] The post Udinese rejects Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund bids for Matteo Palma appeared first on SoccerNews.
Manchester United should have signed Joao Pedro, according to Michael Owen (Picture: Getty) Michael Owen says he is a ‘huge fan’ of Joao Pedro and Manchester United should have looked to sign the ‘unbelievable’ forward before he joined Chelsea. Pedro left Brighton to complete a £60million move to Chelsea 12 months ago and the 24-year-old went on to enjoy an impressive debut season in an otherwise wretched campaign for the club. The versatile attacker quickly established himself as the Blues’ first-choice centre-forward ahead of fellow summer signing Liam Delap and finished with 20 goals to his name in all competitions. No doubt still hurting after missing out on Brazil’s World Cup squad, he will be looking to get off on the right foot under new manager Xabi Alonso this coming season, starting against local rivals Fulham in a week’s time. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. After finishing down in tenth last term, Chelsea have no European football to contend with this time around – giving Alonso the luxury of being able to focus purely on domestic football over the coming weeks and months. According to Owen, this could prove massively beneficial for Alonso’s men, who he is backing to finish second in the top flight behind reigning champions Arsenal. Asked to name his favourites to challenge Arsenal, Owen told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast sponsored by Midnite: ‘Chelsea. This could be way off the mark but they’ve got no Europe at all and you see how important that has been over the years. It was brilliant for Manchester United last year. Owen has high hopes for Chelsea under new manager Alonso (Picture: The Good, The Bad & The Football) Pedro scored 20 goals for Chelsea last season (Picture: Getty) ‘This manager [Xabi Alonso] did something similar with an unfancied team in Germany [Bayer Leverkusen], he’s going to change a lot, they’ve bought well.’ Owen has high hopes for Chelsea’s all-star attack this season and believes Manchester United missed a trick not trying to sign Pedro before the Blues came in for the Brazilian last year. ‘I’m a huge Joao Pedro fan, I think he’s unbelievable. In fact, Manchester United should have bought him about four years ago when he was at Watford,’ the ex-England, United and Liverpool striker explained. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Xabi Alonso unveiled as new Chelsea manager","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/07\/13\/2914846474672192337\/480x270_MP4_2914846474672192337.mp4","description":"Xabi Alonso has been posing with his own Chelsea shirt as he holds his first press conference as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.","duration":"T30S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/07\/13\/17\/109989603-0-image-m-5_1783958963915.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-07-13T17:13:59+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘United had nobody up front for years and I thought, “That Joao Pedro”, I love him. ‘Him, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer as a front three… strange signings in Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson obviously.’ While acknowledging ‘question marks’ surrounding Robert Sanchez, Owen feels Chelsea could ‘catch
Edmond Tapsoba has been linked with a move away from Bayer Leverkusen this summer. The Burkina Faso International has done quite well in the Bundesliga, and he has the quality to succeed in the Premier League as well. Tapsoba has also been linked with Chelsea. Edmond Tapsoba could be an ideal defensive addition According to […] The post Manchester United and Tottenham make contact over €50m defender appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez could take Arsenal to ‘another level’, says Martin Keown (Picture: talkSPORT) Martin Keown says Julian Alvarez could be the calibre of player to take Arsenal to ‘another level’ and help bring the club’s wait for Champions League glory to an end. Arsenal have set out their stall across a busy summer transfer window, eager to strengthen on the back of their Premier League title triumph under Mikel Arteta last season. After activating their £35million option to sign Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis from Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners moved quickly to wrap up deals for Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis and free agent Illan Meslier. While there was disappointment as Arsenal fell short in their pursuit of top attacking target Vinicius Junior, the £75m arrival of Bruno Guimaraes came as a statement to the rest of the league that Arteta’s side are determined to build on their success. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. A comprehensive Community Shield victory over Manchester City on Sunday was further proof of this renewed desire within the group ahead of the new campaign, with new signings Tzolis and Guimaraes both impressing on their full debuts in Cardiff. But Arteta is reportedly determined to freshen up his attacking options before the transfer deadline and the English champions continue to be linked with potential big-money additions such as Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz. Former Arsenal and England defender Keown believes it could be time to revisit a possible deal for Atletico Madrid star Alvarez, though, despite Diego Simoene’s insistence that the striker is not for sale. Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Alvarez for some time (Picture: Getty) The Gunners prevailed over Manchester City to claim an 18th Community Shield title on Sunday (Picture: Getty) Asked if there could still be a ‘missing link’ in Arteta’s squad after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over City, Keown told talkSPORT’s Jim White: ‘We’re talking about key signings and what they do next. Obviously that’s an area… European dominance, never mind domestic dominance, the next step. ‘Of course, the two strikers are under pressure to make that happen. ‘It may be that someone like Alvarez [could be the man]. He’s a player that they looked at last season, they thought about bringing in and that could be the sort of player they’re looking at. ‘They need to decide. That’s the key at the moment, is the decisions. The ambition is there but they’ve got to make key signings at the right times. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta says Community Shield statement win proves Arsenal are 'ready for it'","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/17\/7779755569864816200\/480x270_MP4_7779755569864816200.mp4","description":"Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's desire \"to go straight again\" after Manchester City were overwhelmed 3-0 by the Premier League champions in the Community Shield.","duration":"T8M14S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/17\/07\/110678029-0-image-a-8_1786947795231.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-17T07:22:17+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.ad
With his penalty against Nashville SC, Lionel Messi has reached three consecutive misses from the 12 yards between Argentina and Inter Miami, tying the worst record in his career. Lionel Messi‘s return to Major League Soccer action was far from a dream night, as he failed to convert a penalty during Inter Miami‘s humbling 4-1 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday. The failed attempt marks his third consecutive missed penalty across competitions for club and with the Argentina national team, matching the longest spot-kick drought of his career. After Andy Najar put Nashville ahead in the 17th minute off an accurate cross from Elias Saad, Inter Miami pressed aggressively for an immediate equalizer. Following a lofted pass over the defense from Casemiro, Luis Suarez controlled the ball, cut back onto his left foot, and was brought down in the box by Jeisson Palacios after a mistimed tackle in the 22nd minute. Messi stepped up to the spot, using a stutter-step approach to try and freeze Brian Schwake. Though the goalkeeper committed early and dived to his right, Schwake managed to stick out his legs and make the save. Sergio Reguilon pounced on the rebound and slotted it into the back of the net, but the goal was quickly disallowed due to encroaching into the penalty area. Failing to convert from the spot against Nashville extends Messi’s current slide to three straight misses from 12 yards out. Saturday’s failure was also his second missed penalty in an Inter Miami shirt, with the first occurring back in September 2025 during a 3-0 regular-season defeat against Charlotte FC. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF takes a misses the penalty against Nashville SC. (Carly Mackler/Getty Images) The penalty miss against Nashville highlights a rare dip in execution for the Argentine legend when facing opposing goalkeepers from the spot. During the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, he dragged a penalty wide in a group-stage match against Austria, and had another attempt saved by Mostafa Shobeir in a round of 16 clash against Egypt, bringing his total to three straight failures. Despite the recent slump, Messi remains one of the premier dead-ball technicians in modern soccer history. Across 149 career penalty attempts for club and country, the forward has converted 114 times while missing 35, maintaining a respectable 76.5% conversion rate. When did Messi last miss three consecutive penalties? As the captain and primary penalty taker for both Inter Miami and Argentina, Messi naturally carries the responsibility whenever a spot kick is awarded. While this three-match slump is an unusual sight, it is not the first time he has endured a cold stretch from the spot. The only other time Lionel Messi missed three consecutive penalties was back in 2014 while playing for FC Barcelona and Argentina. That run began in an April 2014 match against Real Betis, where Antonio Adan saved a late attempt in the 86th minute. His next miss came that September in a 5-0 win over Levante UD when he fired completely wide, followed by an October friendly with Argentina where Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson stopped his 40th-minute effort. Messi ultimately snapped that 2014 drought in November during an international friendly against Croatia at Boleyn Ground, converting from the spot to secure a 2-1 victory. Inter Miami return to action next Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union, where Messi will look to end his current drought or risk setting an unprecedented personal low.
Belgian is the first non-Scot in role since Berti VogtsSFA welcomes ‘aggressive, front-foot style of play’The Scottish Football Association has appointed the Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke as manager. The 39-year-old, who was sacked by Monaco in June, will become the country’s first non-Scottish manager since Berti Vogts, who was in charge from 2002 to 2004.Clarke’s abrupt departure came after Scotland were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stage. He had signed a four-year contract extension immediately before the tournament. It quickly became clear the SFA would turn towards a foreign manager with the Danes Jon Dahl Tomasson and Kasper Hjulmand being linked with the position. Continue reading...
Newcastle United are exploring an ambitious move for Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane as Matthias Jaissle and sporting director Ross Wilson continue rebuilding a squad hit by major departures. The Magpies have lost Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, leaving Jaissle short of the attacking quality and established personalities previously central to […] The post Newcastle United scout £87m striker as Magpies look to make major statement appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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