Slot must axe struggling Liverpool star who's becoming the new Sturridge

da heads bet: Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold looks almost certain to depart Liverpool this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

da dobrowin: The 26-year-old has largely been touted with a free transfer to join Real Madrid, with numerous publications already claiming that a deal is complete for him to join the LaLiga giants.

Such news has angered supporters, with his potential move leaving Arne Slot’s side shortchanged and unable to receive a fee for a talent who’s been a leading player in their success.

Liverpool'sTrentAlexander-Arnoldwalks off the pitch

He’s made over 300 appearances for his boyhood side, playing a vital role in various levels of success, claiming one Premier League title, with another set to follow in the coming weeks.

The defender isn’t the only player to depart Anfield on a free in recent years, albeit in different circumstances to another player who captured the hearts of the fanbase during his spell on Merseyside.

Daniel Sturridge’s time as a player at Liverpool

Striker Daniel Sturridge formed a deadly partnership with Luis Suárez during his stint at Liverpool, with the pair firing the Reds to title contention under Brendan Rodgers over a decade ago.

The Englishman scored 67 times in his 160 appearances during his six-and-a-half years on Merseyside, producing countless moments of magic including his effort against former side Chelsea.

However, despite his goalscoring exploits, he was unable to prove his talent on a regular basis, with injuries massively plaguing his time and subsequently spending long periods on the sidelines.

During his stint on Merseyside, the now-retired striker suffered 15 separate injuries, missing a total of 121 matches – missing an average of 18.5 matches per season he was on the club’s books.

Such a record left the hierarchy with no choice but to offload him in the summer of 2019, but six years on, Slot has found a new version of the Englishman, desperately needing to offload him to avoid losing another talent for nothing.

Why Slot needs to sell Liverpool’s new Sturridge this summer

Despite Slot’s impressive first season in England, which has seen him take the top-flight by storm, he may have a job on his hands to sustain such a success next season.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot

Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah could all depart the club on a free transfer this summer, giving the Dutchman a huge task in replacing the trio given their importance to the side.

However, he may want to offload numerous other first-team members this summer, including Diogo Jota, who’s fallen well beyond the high standards he set for himself during his early days on Merseyside.

The Portuguese international joined the Reds in a £45m deal from Wolves in the summer of 2020, notching 34 goals during his first two years after his big-money transfer.

However, he’s struggled to achieve such levels in 2024/25, scoring just nine times across all competitions, with injuries starting to prevent his progress at Anfield.

Diogo Jota’s injuries since joining Liverpool in 2020

Season

Injury

Days missed

Games missed

2020/21

Knee

85

19

2020/21

Foot

12

4

2021/22

Ankle

15

4

2022/23

Hamstring

32

5

2022/23

Calf

117

24

2023/24

Calf

29

8

2023/24

Knee

52

13

2023/24

Hip

23

4

2024/25

Hamstring

54

14

2024/25

Fatigue

17

4

Total:

10

436

99

Stats via Transfermarkt

Jota has only been able to start 12 league outings so far during Slot’s reign, leading to reports that the club were willing to cash in on him this summer to fund a move for a new talisman.

Liverpool striker Diogo Jota

The 28-year-old has two years left on his contract, but with the former Atlético Madrid ace now entering the latter stages of his professional career, the upcoming window could present the last opportunity to recoup the majority of the fee paid for his signature.

Given his injury issues and lack of form when fit, Slot must look to offload him this window, joining Trent in not featuring in his plans as he looks to continue his impressive start as the club’s manager next season.

It may seem a brutal call, but the football industry is an unforgiving one, with decisions needing to be made for the better of the club, subsequently leading to fresh blood arriving to fill the void.

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Offer made: Chelsea make £1m+ bid for "nifty" no.10 whose nickname is Messi

da 888: Chelsea have now submitted a £1.4m bid for an attacking midfielder following a recent scouting mission, according to a report.

Blues plotting youth recruitment drive

da bwin: Under the helm of BlueCo, Chelsea have maintained a heavy focus on bringing in talented young players, with Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo becoming the latest additions to the squad last month.

As we approach the summer transfer window, it appears as though the Blues are set to continue stockpiling young players, with Real Madrid striker Endrick becoming the latest subject of interest, having submitted a £59m offer for the 18-year-old striker.

In terms of central midfield options, 21-year-old Barcelona ace Marc Casado is on the shortlist, with Todd Boehly plotting a £33m bid for the Spaniard, while breakout AFC Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen remains a target at centre-back.

AFC Bournemouth's DeanHuijsenduring the warm up before the match

The aforementioned targets all have experience in a major European league, but there have now been suggestions the west Londoners could also be willing to take a risk on more of an unproven quantity.

According to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted a €1.6m (£1.4m) bid for Malian wonderkid Seydou Dembele, who is currently playing in Qatar.

Scouts from a number of Europe’s top clubs have been watching the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and Dembele has seemingly stood out above the rest, having impressed the Blues, Barcelona and Red Bull Salzburg.

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As the starlet is just 16-years-old, he will not be able to move to Stamford Bridge until he turns 18, should Boehly’s bid prove to be successful.

However, there are signs that it could be worth the wait, given that the youngster has been performing very well for Mali U17s, and he has earned the nickname of “Messi” from his friends.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (h)

April 13th

Fulham (a)

April 20th

Everton (h)

April 26th

Liverpool (h)

May 4th

Newcastle United (a)

May 10th

"Real talent" Dembele is one for the future

With the Malian unable to sign for Chelsea until he is 18, we won’t see him in a blue shirt anytime soon, but his displays for his country indicate he could go on to be a top player, with the report stating he has twice received Man of the Match awards at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Not only that, but scout Felix Johnston has also given the attacking midfielder very high praise, describing him as a “real talent”, while also detailing that he is a “really nifty” left-footed number 10.

Understandably, the news may once again call into question the fact that Chelsea are stockpiling a huge number of young players, with Enzo Maresca’s squad at risk of becoming very bloated again in the future.

However, the move for Dembele is relatively low risk at just £1.4m, and he is showing very promising signs for his country.

Jonassen studies Jadeja ahead of India Test challenge

The left-arm spinner is hoping to be part of the side for the Mumbai encounter next month

AAP16-Nov-2023Left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen has been studying master of the art Ravindra Jadeja closely ahead of Australia’s Test against India next month.India will host Australia from December 21 in Mumbai, for the first time in a Test on home soil since 1984, and the 31-year-old Jonassen is leaving no stone unturned in her quest to make the most of the opportunity.Jonassen was named for Australia – along with fellow spinners Ashleigh Gardner, Alana King and Georgia Wareham – in the squad for the three-format tour that will also include three ODIs and T20Is.Related

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On Wednesday, Jonassen became the first player to pass 150 wickets in the WBBL, with her 4 for 20 for Brisbane Heat in the 53-run win over Hobart Hurricanes taking the veteran’s tally to 152.Indian left-armer Jadeja is a regular for India and Jonassen is a student of his wily ways.”Jadeja has just got incredible control of his pace into the same length. His ability to beat both sides of the bat is probably second to none,” Jonassen told AAP. “That is something I will be hoping to emulate myself when I can get over there to India. Hopefully I can have a few spells like he has had in his Test career.”I used to watch a lot of [former New Zealand spinner] Dan Vettori but in the current climate Jadeja is the bowler I look to. I have been watching him in the 50-over World Cup in India.”It is a bit different in the sense that [the men] bowl a bit quicker than we do but in some respects it is still very similar with what I am trying to execute and achieve.”Jonassen acknowledged competition for spinning spots on tour would be intense but is relishing the challenge”Whenever [selection] becomes official it is always exciting and always nice and I am really proud to be part of such an historic trip,” she said. “We have some really talented spinners in the squad and we are all going to be licking our lips to get the nod.”Ultimately the balance of the side will dictate that. We will keep a close eye on the India-England Test match that will be a week or so prior to ours at the same Mumbai venue. That will give us an idea of what conditions may be like for our game.”Jonassen had not taken a wicket in three WBBL games before the Hurricanes clash but found her rhythm and confidence in her best return of the season so far.”I was really clear about the role I wanted to play and the impact I wanted to have,” she said. “I haven’t felt like I have been bowling too badly, bar a couple of games. The wickets just weren’t necessarily there. This game…they were.”

أيمن الشريعي: وضعت بندًا خاصًا في عقد بيع محمد إسماعيل لـ الزمالك

أعرب أيمن الشريعي رئيس نادي إنبي، عن رأيه في قرارات حكام مباريات الدوري المصري الممتاز، موضحًا تفاصيل انتقال محمد إسماعيل إلى الزمالك.

وقال أيمن الشريعي في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “القرارات الإدارية التي تصدر من الحكام بمنتهى القوة والانضباط، وأنا أرى أنها قرارات منضبطة، ولا بد أن تكون القرارات الفنية في الملعب على نفس الوتيرة”.

وأضاف: “تم تصعيد 9 لاعبين ناشئين، ولا توجد مباراة لعبناها في الدوري بدون الدفع بـ اثنين من الناشئين، المنتخب طلب 4 لاعبين من 2005، وهم، سيف سفاجا وعلي إيهاب ومحمد عبد الله ومهاب، وهم يعتبرون في الفريق الأول”.

طالع أيضاً.. قناة الأهلي تشوق الجماهير بجلسة تصوير لـ إمام عاشور.. وموعد إعلان التفاصيل

وتابع: “لم نحصل على نسبة إعادة بيع محمود جاد، وخاطبنا النادي المصري من أجل ذلك”.

وأفاد: “أتحمل ضغوطًا لا يتحملها أحد، نتيجتها أننا نحصل على استثمارات ونُصعد شباب صغير، وهذا دوري كرئيس نادي”.

هل كنت تتوقع انتقال محمد إسماعيل لـ الزمالك؟: “تامر مصطفى عندما قال لي أنا لا أحتاج اللاعب، وهو يلعب في مركزي وسط المدافع والمدافع، لذلك وضعت نسبة من إعادة بيعه لأنني كنت أثق به”.

Mitchell Marsh, Mark Wood stand out on rollercoaster day

Game rattles on after Marsh ton, Wood five-for as England lose their top three before close

Alan Gardner06-Jul-2023Mark Wood and Mitchell Marsh were the standout performers on a rollercoaster day one at Headingley, as England and Australia jousted for the ascendency on a juicy Headingley pitch.Wood, back in the side after concerns about his fitness, bowled with sustained pace and hostility to claim his first five-wicket haul in a home Test, and helped England clean up the Australia innings with alacrity after an unheralded scene-stealing performance from Marsh had threatened to take the game away.Marsh was a surprise selection in the Australia XI, after Cameron Green picked up a minor hamstring strain, and playing his first Test since the final match of the 2019 Ashes. He had only made four first-class appearances in the intervening period, but produced a bullocking, 102-ball hundred – his third in Tests and third against England – to help steer Australia away from the rocks at 85 for 4 just before lunch.Marsh dominated his stand of 155 with Travis Head, outscoring his partner by almost four to one, but England hit back to take the last six Australia wickets for 23 runs in the space of 8.4 overs. The game continued to rattle along thereafter, too, as England lost their top three before the close.England came into this match 2-0 behind in the series and nursing their grievances after narrow defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s. Only a win in Leeds will suffice if they are to keep their attempts to win the Ashes alive – and only Don Bradman’s 1936-37 Australians have successfully come back from such a position against their oldest rivals.Ben Stokes won his third toss of the series and duly put Australia in, with the expectation of helpful conditions at Headingley – scene of Stokes’ heroics four years ago and a ground known for its partisan stance. It took just five balls for the Western Terrace to let out its first roar of the day, as Stuart Broad found David Warner’s outside edge to extend his record against the Australia opener to 16 dismissals in Tests.Stuart Broad claimed the wicket of David Warner for the 16th time in Tests•Getty ImagesThere were immediate signs of pace and carry for the seamers, in contrast to the surfaces for the opening two Tests, and England’s reshaped attack were soon making further inroads. Wood had not played a Test since December or bowled in competitive match since mid-April at the IPL but hit his straps from the outset, pushing the speed gun up to 96.5mph/155kph and leaving Marnus Labuschagne groping for the ball during three consecutive maidens.When Labuschagne managed to get off strike, that left Usman Khawaja in the firing line. Five balls that were short or short of a good length were followed by a fuller, 95mph/152kph delivery that beat Khawaja’s flat-footed drive and left leg stump flat on the ground. His opening spell of 4-3-2-1 was proof plenty that Wood was ready to blast off.Labuschagne had grafted for more than hour but eventually fell for a ponderous 21 when Chris Woakes – this was his first Test appearance since March 2022 – had him edging to slip, and England went in to lunch in buoyant mood when Steven Smith, in his 100th Test, fell to a catch at the wicket off Broad despite reviewing Kumar Dharmasena’s on-field decision.It could have been better for the hosts, and dropped catches were a major blight on England’s day. Jonny Bairstow missed a tough chance off Smith on 4 and then put down a far simpler chance down the leg side when Head had made 9. The worst aberration was to come at the start of the afternoon session, however, when Woakes found Marsh’s outside edge only for Joe Root to grass a straightforward take at first slip.Marsh was on 12, having smashed Woakes for six earlier in the over, and he fully capitalised on his good fortune in one of the more extraordinary Ashes hundreds of recent memory. Strong on the drive through the covers and down the ground, he showcased his power with a bludgeoned six off Wood that flew into the Western Terrace, racking up his first Test fifty since March 2018 – from just 59 balls – to push England back.Their mood got worse when Ollie Robinson walked off the field mid-over after suffering from a back spasm, and Marsh continued to do much as he pleased. Broad was thumped down the ground, barely able to get his fingertips to a fast chance, and Moeen Ali’s offspin came in for similarly disdainful treatment, as a straight six took Marsh to 99 before a tap into the off side – a tight single had Stokes collected cleanly – brought up the second-fastest hundred by an Australian in England.But as the day threatened to run away from them, England grabbed on to Marsh’s coattails at the vital moment, Woakes finding an inside edge that ballooned to slip on the brink of tea. And although Root put down another chance to reprieve Alex Carey after the interval, he held Head’s outside edge from the very next ball and Wood then tore through the tail in the space of 14 deliveries: Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins pinned by pace, Carey hit on the head and then holing out, Todd Murphy dragging into his stumps.There was still more than an hour and a half left in the evening session, and Australia made use of the conditions themselves as Cummins struck twice in his opening spell. Ben Duckett was well held by the leaping Carey – who clinched an outstanding catch by pressing the ball to his lips in the tips of his gloves – and Harry Brook’s first outing at No. 3 was short-lived as he edged to second slip.Marsh then capped his day in the Yorkshire sun by removing Zak Crawley in his second over, via another fiddle to the cordon, before the local pairing of Root and Bairstow throttled down to see out a high-octane day, with the promise of more to come.

Trent Alexander-Arnold banned! Liverpool star barred from popular nightclub after announcing decision to leave Reds ahead of Real Madrid move

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool as a free agent has led to him being barred from a popular nightclub in the city.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Home-grown star ready to leave AnfieldWalking away when contract expiresDecision has attracted some criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has, after several months of speculation, confirmed that he will be bidding farewell to Anfield this summer and breaking career-long ties with the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold has decided against following the lead of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk by signing a new contract. The Merseyside native is ready to step out of his comfort zone and embrace a fresh start.

THE GOSSIP

Not everybody is as excited about that as Alexander-Arnold, with a big career call attracting criticism from some. It has also been revealed that the 26-year-old full-back is no longer welcome at the Popworld nightspot in Liverpool as he is now “barred” from that venue.

WHAT NEXT FOR TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

It is expected that Alexander-Arnold will soon announce that he is linking up with Real Madrid. He will join Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at Santiago Bernabeu as he takes on a Spanish adventure.

Sunrisers and Mumbai look to ride on their momentum and enter the top half

Both teams have won their last two matches after starting with successive losses and are starting to get their combinations right

Sidharth Monga17-Apr-20232:54

Moody: ‘Mumbai Indians will have to outbat oppositions to win consistently’

Big picture: A winning streak will stopOne of these teams will have its winning momentum snapped, the other will take its winning streak to three matches when Sunrisers Hyderabad host Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. They both made identical starts to the season with two successive defeats before bouncing back with two wins each.Sunrisers might well have made a pivotal move in Harry Brook’s T20 career by using him as an opener and getting a match-winning century out of him. Brook the opener and the return of Abhishek Sharma to help out Aiden Markram in the middle order have given Sunrisers the potency they seemed to lack at the start of the season.Mayank Markande as the legspinner replacement for Adil Rashid has allowed Sunrisers to play Marco Jansen, which gives the side a sharp edge. If Jofra Archer is not yet available for Mumbai, Marco might well go up against his twin Duan Jansen only for the second time in professional cricket.It is a danger sign for other teams that Mumbai have won two out of four without Jasprit Bumrah and Archer; Archer should become available at some point. Suryakumar Yadav showed signs of return to runs in their last match, which sets them up beautifully with the bat.IPL 2023 Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad WWLL
Chennai Super Kings WWLLTeam news: Spotlight on Archer againAll eyes are still on Archer, who is nursing an elbow niggle since he played the first match. If he is fit and ready, he should walk into the Mumbai XI, but they are not likely to take any risks with him.2:28

Moody: Brook is a sensational talent in all formats

Toss and Impact Player strategySunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers have no reason to change their combination except for using Washington Sundar more efficiently. If they bat first, they can start with Washington in the XI and have T Natarajan replace Brook in the innings break. If they field first, Brook can replace Natarajan in the innings break.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Harry Brook, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram (capt), 5 Abhishek Sharma, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Mayank Markande, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umran MalikProbable field-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Abhishek Sharma, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Mayank Markande, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T NatarajanMumbai Indians
Mumbai might want to continue with the combination they used in the last match even though they used Arjun Tendulkar for two overs only. One out of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar can sit out during the bowling innings.Possible bat-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Tim David, 8 Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendoffPossible bowl-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Tim David, 7 Hrithik Shokeen, 8 Arshad Khan/Arjun Tendulkar, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 11 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendorffStats that matter During his century, Brook scored 66 runs in 26 shots between cover-point and backward point. Out of these, eight balls were pretty straight but Brook managed to create room and take 29 runs off them. Mumbai will look to deny him any room. Since the start of the last IPL, Abhishek has been the fifth-quickest batter (minimum 150 runs) against spin. In just two matches, Marco Jansen has taken four wickets in the powerplay, the fourth-highest this IPL. Rohit and Ishan Kishan are the second-quickest opening combination (minimum two partnerships) this IPL. Piyush Chawla has been the revelation of the season, and has the best economy rate among bowlers who have bowled at least ten overs.

A better signing than Bijol: Leeds open talks to sign £17m "animal"

da marjack bet: Leeds United now know what their opening set of fixtures in the Premier League look like, with August appearing to be a tough starting month for the already nervous Whites.

da bet7: Indeed, top-flight stalwarts Everton, Arsenal, and Newcastle United all come in quick succession for Daniel Farke’s men to get the new season underway, with Leeds fans just praying an early result can be picked up to ease the expected anxiety around Elland Road.

Of course, there is still some time to go before Leeds’ Premier League adventure kicks off, with the off-season handing the newly promoted team plenty of opportunities to snap up some top-flight-ready talents.

Leeds in talks to sign £17m star

Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha – who both played in the Serie A and the Bundesliga last season – have already entered the building but there is plenty more on the way for Leeds.

Indeed, the West Yorkshire titans could be about to secure an even better signing than their new 6-foot-3 Slovenian, with a Premier League-proven battler now on their shopping list.

According to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, Leeds are in talks regarding the signature of Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio.

The report states that significant funds have come Leeds’ way after the glory of promotion, with the Whites desiring a player of Igor’s characteristics to try and consolidate as a Premier League-capable outfit.

Valued at around the £17m mark according to Transfermarkt, it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top in the race to land the Seagulls’ number three, with the report revealing that Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers are other keen parties from England.

Leeds will hope they can put their newfound millions to good use by landing the Brazilian, with Igor already having an upper hand over his potential new teammate in Bijol in being instantly ready for the challenge ahead of the English top-flight.

Why Igor would be an even better signing than Bijol

Of course, plenty will be expected of Bijol on his arrival in England, but it will take him time to get up to speed with his daunting new environment.

On the contrary, the imposing South American already has two top-flight campaigns under his belt on the South Coast, with the 27-year-old consistently sticking out as a reliable member of the Seagulls camp when thrown into action.

Igor’s Premier League numbers (23/24) + (24/25)

Stat (* = per game)

23/24

24/25

Games played

24

13

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches*

70.4

63.9

Accurate passes*

55.3 (94%)

50.8 (93%)

Ball recoveries*

4.4

3.2

Total duels won*

3.0

1.8

Stats by Sofascore

When glancing at the table above, it’s clear that the Brazilian shines with the ball planted at his feet, with a stunning 94% pass accuracy averaged during his debut Premier League campaign for Brighton.

This unerring ability to pick out a pass under pressure will stand him in good stead to shine under Farke’s wing, therefore, with Leeds defensive mainstay Joe Rodon successfully completing 92% of his passes last season.

This is where Bijol falls flat in comparison, with the Slovenian only average an 84% pass accuracy across the same time span.

On top of that, Igor has even more top-flight experience on his side when weighed up next to the ex-Udinese man, notably when on the books of Fiorentina.

104 Serie A appearances came his way when plying his trade in Florence. To add context, Bijol falls short of that amount by 14 games.

Of course, Bijol will have a key role to play next season as Leeds adjust to their new level.

But, having also recently been lauded as an “animal” by ex-Seagulls coach Inigo Calderon, picking up Igor could be just what Leeds crave in winning a battler ready to roll his sleeves up for the cause, with the 27-year-old well aware of what it takes to be a success in such a gruelling division.

Big Piroe upgrade: Leeds in the race to sign "deceptively quick" £21m star

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Bayern Munich blame Nick Woltemade media circus on Stuttgart as director denies role in transfer circus

Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund says they weren't the ones to publicly reveal their attempts to sign Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.

Stuttgart rejected Bayern Munich's €60m offer for WoltemadeBayern's sporting director stressed the club never discussed figuresSays there's no update on his transferFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern's third bid of €60 million (£52m/$70m) for Woltemade was rejected by Stuttgart, who have now reportedly upped their asking price to €75m (£65m/$88m). When asked for the latest update on Woltemade's transfer, Freund claimed the matter was handled internally and no details were released. He further blamed the Stuttgart camp for causing the media frenzy surrounding the player.  

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bayern reignited their attempts to sign Woltemade as the striker asked both clubs to enter negotiations but Stuttgart once again rejected their advances. Stuttgart have reiterated their stance multiple times that they plan on keeping the player, with Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth and CEO Alexander Wehrle both stating that Woltemade will play with them next season. When asked about the forward's future, the sporting director clearly stated that they are not the ones using the situation to generate talks.

WHAT FREUND SAID

In a press conference, Freund confirmed that there have been no talks with Stuttgart and insisted Bayern are not responsible for all the media speculation. He said at a press conference: "Bayern wasn't the match that generated so much discussion. We never commented on deadlines or figures. There's no update either. We play against Stuttgart tomorrow, where the player is under contract."

Earlier Stuttgart coach was also asked about Woltemade's future, to which he said: "Nick is a part of our team and a very important building block in our team. Nothing has changed about that."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

Stuttgart's new price tag makes it increasingly difficult for the German striker to leave the club with the striker's agent having labelled Stuttgart's demands as "completely unfounded". The two clubs are now set to face each other in the German Super Cup on August 17.

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