Crystal Palace · CONCACAF Gold Cup · Defender · #26 · USA · 25 yrs
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards (Picture: The Rest Is Football) Micah Richards has urged Manchester City to hijack Arsenal’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez and bring the Atletico Madrid striker back to the club. Alvarez won two Premier League titles in his two seasons at City before a lack of regular starts saw him move to Atletico for £82million in August 2024. Since then, the Argentine striker has scored 49 goals in 107 appearances for the Spanish side and established himself as one of the best strikers in European football. But the 26-year-old is clearly keen for a fresh challenge, having indicated during the World Cup that it was his dream to join Barcelona this summer. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Atletico have held firm and insisted they won’t sell Alvarez to their league rivals, with the striker heavily jeered by his own fans during their La Liga draw with Villarreal on Sunday evening. Arsenal have held an interest in Alvarez throughout the summer as they look to add a superstar forward to Mikel Arteta’s squad. Alvarez has made it clear his preference would be a move to Barcelona, but the latest reports suggest his stance may be softening, which could allow the Gunners to swoop in with a blockbuster offer. Julian Alvarez wants to leave Atletico Madrid for Barcelona (Picture: Getty) A lofty fee of €150m (£128m) may be required to prise Alvarez away from the Spanish capital, with Arsenal looking to sell Gabriel Martinelli to raise funds for the move. And while Richards believes the signing would be a ‘statement of intent’ by Arsenal, he is keen to see his former side City launch a late bid to bring Alvarez back to the Etihad to bolster Enzo Maresca’s forward line. ‘I think [Arsenal need] another body in there,’ Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast. Julian Alvarez won two Premier League titles with Manchester City (Picture: Getty) ‘Obviously, they have still got Gyokeres and you can’t disrespect him; he’s a Premier League winner, but I just think if they want domination, go get another forward. Go get Alvarez. That would be a statement of intent. ‘If I were Man City, I’d be going back in for Alvarez. 100 per cent.’ Meanwhile, Alan Shearer believes that the signing of Alvarez would make Arsenal ‘very difficult to stop’ in all competitions this season. ‘Havertz is a very good player and I think in the big games, Arteta chooses him and I understand that,’ he said. Arsenal are keen on signing another forward (Picture: Reuters) ‘Gyokeres has also more than played his part, but I agree with Micah. ‘If they want to stay around at the very, very top and try and dominate over the next three or four years, if they were to go and get that elite striker, then I think it would be very, very difficult to stop if they had that.’ Speaking at the weekend, Atletico boss Diego Simeone urged the club’s fans to rally around Alvarez despite his public desire to seek a fresh start. ‘To win titles you need a striker,’ Simeone said. ‘We’re competing with the players we have. Until today, I was telling the players before going out onto the pitch that as long as they’re on the team, I’m fully committed to them. ‘We need strikers, good strikers. We have him, and we have to take care of him.’ ‘I think we all need to be united. Julian is with us on the team, and as long as he’s here, we’re going to support him. ‘We want the best for him because we know what he can contribute. It’s an uncomfortable situation for everyone, but hopefully it will be resolved and we’ll all be happy at the end of the season.’ 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
Podcast co-host says tongue-in-cheek that ex-Manchester United captain would like to sign up for his showWith an all-conquering podcast empire and a new deal that will make his football punditry show a regular fixture on Netflix, there seems little left for Gary Lineker to wish for.However, while the former Match of the Day presenter is full of praise for Alan Shearer and Micah Richards – the fellow pundits on his The Rest Is Football show – Lineker has admitted to admiring a combative figure playing for his main rivals. Continue reading...
Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer (Picture: Getty) Alan Shearer has given Arsenal major hope of ‘nabbing’ Julian Alvarez before the transfer deadline and says the Atletico Madrid striker would be a title-winning signing. The Gunners remain interested in signing long-term transfer target Alvarez, who was heavily jeered by Atletico fans during their La Liga draw with Villarreal on Sunday evening. The Atletico fanbase are unhappy with Alvarez’s desire to leave the club and secure a controversial move to Spanish rivals Barcelona. Alvarez has spent two seasons in Madrid, scoring 49 goals in 107 appearances following his £82m move from Manchester City. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. The Argentine World Cup winner lifted back-to-back Premier League titles at Man City but his progress at the Etihad Stadium was blocked by superstar striker Erling Haaland. Arsenal are interested in Alvarez as £64m signing Viktor Gyokeres endured a mixed first season at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners looked set to miss out on a deal as Alvarez favoured a move to Barcelona, but recent reports claim he has softened his stance over a switch to north London. Atletico Madrid striker and Arsenal target Julian Alvarez (Picture: Getty) And former England striker Shearer believes Arsenal could be in the driving seat to sign Alvarez given Atletico Madrid will not want to sell to a direct rival. ‘We’ve heard of a lot of pushing from Barcelona and the reluctant from Atletico,’ Premier League record goalscorer Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘It seems like their thinking might be, “if we have to sell, we’re not selling to you [Barcelona”. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty) ‘There’s just maybe a small opportunity or a small window there for Arsenal to nab him you would think. And if they do it’s done by the way [the Premier League title race].’ Micah Richards has also encouraged Arsenal to press ahead with their interest in Alvarez, insisting he would take Arteta’s side to ‘the next level’. ‘I would actually go for a striker if I was Arsenal and we’ve all seen the situation with Alvarez at Atletico,’ Richards said. Julian Alvarez não se despede dos adeptos do Atleti 😬#DAZNLALIGA pic.twitter.com/0WSIhLeMmc— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 23, 2026 ‘He was booed by his own fans the other night and there are reports he wants to go to Barcelona. But are Atletico going to sell him to Barca? ‘It might be one for Arsenal to just sneak in there and offer a bid. He’s clearly not happy… If Arsenal had Alvarez he would take them to the next level.’ Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 last season while reaching the Champions League final. The Gunners began their title defence with a routine 3-0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night. ‘Arsenal have put themselves in a hugely positive situation,’ Shearer added. ‘Everyone else is changing and starting to go again but Arsenal are already there and ready. It took them a while to get there so you have to give them a huge amount of credit. ‘Clearly all their challengers are looking at them and knowing that they’re the favourites and in the best position to do it again and even challenge for Europe again. ‘They have an unbelievable opportunity to really stamp their authority on the Premier League over the next couple of years.’ 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
Crystal Palace have lost seven of their last 10 Premier League games against Everton (D3), their joint-most defeats against any side in the competition since 2021-22 (also 7 against Arsenal & Chelsea). Crystal Palace recorded an expected goals tally of 2.04, their highest in a Premier League game without scoring since December 2018 against Cardiff (2.1).
Jozy Altidore expressed confidence in Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of the USMNT, though he admitted the World Cup was a failure to him. Jozy Altidore sat down for an exclusive interview with Bolavip, where the USMNT and MLS icon opened up about Mauricio Pochettino’s future with the national team and how he views the squad’s run at the 2026 World Cup. Asked about Pochettino’s contract extension, Altidore didn’t hold back his support for the Argentine coach. “Estamos contigo Poch, estamos atrás de ti. Tienes nuestro apoyo (We’re with you, Poch; we’ve got your back. You have our support),” Altidore began saying, before switching to English. “I love Pochettino, I’m a big fan. You know, obviously I have history, we played against each other back a long time ago and then to see him really welcome what it is to be the coach of the US Men’s National Team, the culture, and to do the work, right? It’s not easy… I think it was a job well done… I’m excited to have Poch. I hope he stays for as long as possible,” the former striker said. When the conversation turned to the national team’s showing at the World Cup, where the USMNT were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a 4-1 loss to Belgium despite winning their group for the first time since 2010, Altidore was more critical, describing the tournament’s outcome in blunt terms. Chris Richards is consoled by Mauricio Pochettino after 4-1 loss to Belgium. (Getty Images) “Yeah, it was difficult, you know. And I use the word ‘fracaso’ (failure). It was a ‘fracaso’ to me, not because the players had a bad tournament, the players had a great tournament. But in the manner we lost that game, when I’m sure the players know that they are capable of much more, it was a bit of a shame, right?” he explained. Altidore calls for growth to start from the youth level Rather than placing blame solely on the senior team, Altidore pointed to the need for broader structural growth within US Soccer, arguing that sustained success has to be built from the youth ranks up. “You can’t just win a World Cup overnight, right? It has to start from the youth,” he said, calling on the federation to prioritize consistent performances at Under-17, Under-20, and Olympic level as a foundation for the senior team’s long-term development. For Altidore, that long-term view matters more than any single tournament result. Building consistent success at the youth level, he argued, is what will ultimately determine whether the USMNT can compete with the world’s best by the time the 2030 World Cup arrives, regardless of who’s leading the program along the way.
The American contingent in the English Premier League grew by two through Crystal Palace's acquisition of 18-year-old Zavier Golo from Real Salt Lake and Haji Wright winning promotion with Coventry City. An injured Wright will miss Friday's opener against Arsenal. Saturday: Leeds United (Brenden Aaronson) at Nottingham Forest Crystal Palace (Chris Richards, Zavier Gozo) at Everton. Sunday: Bournemouth (Tyler Adams) vs. Manchester City; Monday: Fulham (Antonee Robinson) vs. Chelsea. The post Americans in the English Premier League: Opening weekend appeared first on Soccer America.
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