Winning trophies is what football is all about. All players grow up dreaming of getting their hands on trophies but very few actually go on to realise this dream, taking into account the limited number of trophies that are available to win every season and the number of teams and players vying to get their hands on the prize.

Ordinarily winning one trophy itself is considered a good achievement for the top teams and winning two, also known as the double, is something that teams and players can be proud of.

However, every once in a while, a few teams come along to go beyond the realm of possibility by winning not one, not two but three trophies in the very same season to complete a treble. Here, we take a closer look at what is a treble in football.

What is a treble in football?

In essence, a treble in football takes place when a team wins three trophies in a season. However, in order to be considered genuine or the treble, they must win the very best trophies that are available for grabs at the highest level of football.

So for example, if a team in England won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup, they will have completed the domestic treble as the League Cup is the secondary national cup on English shores.

To complete a genuine or the treble, a team must win their domestic league, the main domestic cup competition, and the premier continental title - UEFA Champions League. 

It’s worth mentioning here that winning Europe’s secondary prize, the UEFA Europa League, is permissible as far as being called a treble albeit it isn’t considered to be genuine by most fans who insist that it is a treble and not the treble.

All things considered, a team is said to have truly won the continental treble only if they win the domestic cup, the domestic league, and the top continental prize that is up for grabs.

Needless to say, not many teams have managed to complete the difficult task of completing the treble. Only seven teams in the history of European football have completed the treble. Scottish side Celtic was the first team to do the treble in 1966-67, while Dutch club Ajax was the second to do it in 1971-72.

Besides Celtic and Ajax, the other six teams to do the treble in football are PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. Out of these seven sides, Barcelona and Bayern Munch are the only two sides to complete to treble twice.

Barcelona achieved the feat twice in 2008-09 and 2014-15 under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique respectively. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, completed the treble twice under the guidance of Jupp Heynckes and Hansi Flick in 2012-13 and 2019-20 respectively.

Manchester City is the latest team to accomplish the incredible feat. Coached by Pep Guardiola, City won the Premier League, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League to complete a historic treble in the 2022-23 season.

Continental treble winners

Team	Treble	Season(s)
Barcelona	La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League	2008-09, 2014-15
Bayern Munich	Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Champions League	2012-13, 2019-20
Celtic	Scottish League, Scottish Cup, European Cup	1966-67
Ajax	Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, European Cup	1971-72
PSV	Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, European Cup	1987-88
Manchester United	Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League	1998-99
Inter Milan	Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League	2009-10
Manchester City	Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League	2022-23

Photo credit: Alamy

The UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw grabbed headlines after pitting FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in one group.

Barcelona, Inter and Bayern Munich have been clubbed with Viktoria Plzen in Group C, which is considered as the Group of Death for the upcoming UCL group stage.

It is worth noting that Barcelona and Bayern Munich were drawn together previously in Group E during the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 group stage. Bayern ended up beating the Blaugrana 3-0 in both group games and relegating the Catalans to the Europa League.

Robert Lewandowski, who scored 69 Champions League goals for Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2022, will face his former employers in the UCL 2022-23 group stage.

Inter Milan, who crashed out in the Round of 16, will fancy their opportunity to qualify for the knockout phase.

Another group that football fans must watch out for is Group G. Premier League champions Manchester City have been drawn with Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen.

Erling Haaland, who joined City from Dortmund earlier this year, couldn’t have asked for an earlier reunion with his former side. Having set the records for the youngest (20 years, 231 days) and the fastest player (14 matches) to score 20 UCL goals while at Borussia Dortmund, all eyes will be fixed on the Norwegian striker to see how he performs against Die Borussen.

Liverpool, who won UCL 2018�?9, will play in Group A alongside Ajax, Napoli and Rangers while Chelsea have been drawn with AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in Group E.

Group H features Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus while Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur will be the favourites to qualify from Group B and Group D respectively.

Meanwhile, defending champions Real Madrid will begin their quest for a 15th European crown while taking on the likes of RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in Group F.

UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw

Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers

Group B: Porto, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge

Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzeň

Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Marseille

Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb

Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic

Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen

Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

Featured photo: AFP / OZAN KOSE

The first leg schedule of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 will kick off with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) hosting Real Madrid (RM) on Wednesday, February 16.

PSG, who finished second in Group A, will lock horns with Real Madrid in the round of 16 for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. The first leg meeting will be played at the Parc des Princes. Watch live in India!

The next big game in the schedule is Liverpool’s hosting of Inter Milan. Six-time winners Liverpool were one of the three teams to have a 100 per cent winning record in the group stages and will entertain an Inter side that last won against the Merseysiders back in May 1965.

Defending champions Chelsea, recently crowned the FIFA Club World Cup champions, will face Ligue 1 side Lille OSC.

The last standout fixture in the first leg schedule of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 sees Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid take on Manchester United.

Both sides have had a topsy-turvy campaign so far in their respective domestic leagues, but, this fixture is surely one to not miss out on considering Cristiano Ronaldo returns to face one of his favourite opponents.

UEFA Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 first leg: Schedule, fixtures and India match times

All match times are in Indian Standard Time

Wednesday, February 16

Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid - 1:30 AM IST

Sporting CP vs Manchester City - 1:30 AM IST

Thursday, February 17

Inter Milan vs Liverpool - 1:30 AM IST

RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich - 1:30 AM IST

Wednesday, February 23

Chelsea vs Lille OSC - 1:30 AM IST

Villarreal vs Juventus - 1:30 AM IST

Thursday, February 24

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United - 1:30 AM IST

Benfica vs Ajax - 1:30 AM IST

Where to watch UCL 2021-22 round of 16 first leg live in India?

The UEFA Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 first leg will be telecast live at 1:30 AM IST on the Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 2 SD and HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of UCL 2021-22 round of 16 first leg will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

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Featured photo: AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS

Borussia Dortmund (DOR) welcome a confident Ajax (AJA) side at Westfalenstadion in Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 season in the early hours of Thursday, November 4. The match will kick off at 1:30 AM IST.

DOR vs AJA Dream11 prediction

Dortmund were humbled by a clinical Ajax team in Matchday 3 of the competition. Goals from Daley Blind, Sebastian Haller and Antony guided the Dutch team to a 4-0 win, but the Germans have since bounced back and in some style. 

Since that defeat in Amsterdam ArenA, Dortmund have scored seven goals in their last three matches while conceding just one. Ajax sure remain a tough opponent to beat, but Dortmund will have the home advantage and a sense of retribution in mind.

DOR vs AJA Dream11 team tips for UEFA Champions League 2021-22

Top tip: Best forward

With Erling Haaland out, Sebastian Haller becomes an automatic pick for this match. The 27-year-old Ajax forward has scored six goals in the Champions League this season and the tally is rightly expected to increase on Thursday.

Top tip: Best midfielder

Considering the current form, Dortmund’s Thorgan Hazard should be an ideal pick for a midfielder. The 28-year-old winger has scored three goals in his last two matches and will be an absolute menace for Daley Blind on the right.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

Ajax’s Daley Blind is expected to churn out most points on Thursday. The 31-year-old left-back is a good passer and his immaculate reading will help the fantasy managers in terms of interceptions and tackles.

Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel will be the most-picked keeper for this match. Despite playing away from home, Ajax are certainly not expected to sit deep. The Dutch team will surely test the Dortmund defence at times and thus Kobel will come in handy.

DOR vs AJA predicted playing XI

DOR playing XI (probable):  Gregor Kobel (goalkeeper); Manuel Akanji, Mats Hummels, Marin Pongracic; Thomas Meunier, Jude Bellingham, Axel Witsel, Marius Wolf; Julian Brandt, Marco Reus (captain), Thorgan Hazard

AJA playing XI (probable): Remko Pasveer (goalkeeper); Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez, Jurrien Timber, Daley Blind; Edson Alvarez, Ryan Gravenberch; Steven Berghuis, Antony, Dusan Tadic (captain); Sebastien Haller

SportsAdda will bring you Dortmund vs Ajax live score.

Featured photo: AFP / Francois Walschaerts

Borussia Dortmund (DOR) travel to the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam to take on Ajax (AJA) in a UEFA Champions League 2021-22 group stage Matchday 3 encounter on Wednesday, October 20. The match kicks off at 12:30 AM IST.

AJA vs DOR Dream11 prediction

Both Ajax and Borussia Dortmund have been excellent this season having lost just one of their last seven matches across all competitions. Their form has been more or less similar as well, making it difficult to predict a winner in this instance.

However, what separates the two teams is Ajax’s home form. A whopping 24 of their 40 goals this season have come at home, including a 9-0 drubbing of Cambuur and 5-0 wins over NEC and Vitesse. As for Dortmund,  they will be hoping to get a positive result away from home after their last away match ended in a 0-1 defeat to Monchengladbach.

AJA vs DOR Dream11 team tips for UEFA Champions League 2021-22

Top tip: Best forward

While there are several names to choose from, none compares to Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. The 21-year-old forward has scored 13 goals already this season and is most likely to be on the scoresheet on Wednesday too as he eyes adding to his Champions League goal tally of one strike in 2021-22. 

Top tip: Best midfielder

Ajax captain Dusan Tadic is in some form this season. The 32-year-old has been used across five different positions so far and has scored four goals besides providing eight assists. With Mahmoud Dahoud and Giovanni Reyna doubtful for the game, Tadic becomes an instant midfield pick for this match.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

Noussair Mazraoui’s performance in this campaign has gone under the radar. The 23-year-old Morocco full-back has scored four goals and provided three assists already this season and will pose a tough challenge for a Dortmund defence that is set to miss Raphael Guerreiro.

Ajax are going to be without their first-choice keeper Andre Onana as well as their second choice Maarten Stekelenburg, making Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel the only viable goalkeeping option for this match.

AJA vs DOR probable playing XI

AJA playing XI (probable): Remko Pasveer (goalkeeper), Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez, Jurrien Timber, Daley Blind, Ryan Gravenberch, Mohammed Kudus, Steven Berghuis, Davy Klaassen, Dusan Tadic (captain), Sebastien Haller

DOR playing XI (probable): Gregor Kobel (goalkeeper), Thomas Meunier, Manuel Akanji, Mats Hummels, Nico Schulz, Jude Bellingham, Axel Witsel, Emre Can, Marco Reus (captain), Erling Braut Haaland, Donyell Malen

SportsAdda will bring you Ajax vs Dortmund live score.

Featured photo: AFP / Kenzo Tribouillard

Manchester United’s UEFA Europa League campaign continues as they face La Liga side Granada for their quarter-final first leg at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes in Spain on Friday, April 9.

The Red Devils, who were on a 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions before their FA Cup quarter-final loss to Leicester City, returned to winning ways in their first game after the international break - a 2-1 win over Brighton at home.

The UEFA Europa League is the only silverware that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men can fight for in the 2020-21 season, and they will take on a Granada team that is making most of their first-ever European campaign. Watch Granada vs Manchester United live in India!

The La Liga team, currently ninth on the league table, are on a three-game losing streak across all competitions. However, considering how Granada knocked Napoli out of the UEL with a 3-2 aggregate win, the Nazaríes will be optimistic of causing an upset in their maiden clash against an English club.

Furthermore, Manchester United has a poor away record in Spain - four wins, 11 draws and 16 losses.

The UEL’s quarter-final schedule also includes a heavyweight clash between Ajax and AS Roma, Arsenal hosting Czech giants Slavia Prague - who have suffered just one defeat across all competitions since last November, and Dinamo Zagreb entertaining Villarreal.

Granada team news and injury updates

Granada will be without as many as four first-team players, as midfielder Luis Milla and Colombian forward Luis Suarez are ruled out with muscle injuries while fullbacks Dimitri Foulquier and Carlos Neva are carrying knocks, thus they are doubtful to start against Manchester United.

Amidst this, the Andalusian club will rely on former Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado (11 goals across competitions) and Chelsea loanee Kenedy (seven goals and five assists in all competitions) to inspire a major upset over the English visitors.

Manchester United team news and injury updates

Anthony Martial is the biggest notable absentee for Manchester United, as the French forward is recuperating from a knee sprain sustained while on international duty. England forward Marcus Rashford, one of the goalscorers in the 2-1 win over Brighton, was taken off 18 minutes from regulation time as he supposedly sustained a knock. A final call on his availability will be taken in due course.

Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has been ruled out of the UEL quarter-final clash after testing positive for the virus. Juan Mata is on a leave of absence for personal reasons while outcast Phil Jones continues to be sidelined with a knee injury.

Where to watch UEFA Europa League quarter-final live in India?

Granada vs Manchester United UEL quarter-final 1st leg will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony Ten 3 SD and HD (Hindi) TV channels in India on Friday, April 9.

Arsenal vs Slavia Prague will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 1 HD while Ajax vs AS Roma will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD.

Live streaming of UEFA Europa League quarter-final 1st leg will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

SportsAdda will bring you UEFA Europa League live scores.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO

Defending champions Ajax hold a good advantage in the 2020-21 Eredivise season, leading the points table by eight points with a game in hand.

With only eight more matches to be played, this is where it gets busy for all the teams involved. The competition, which got underway in September 2020, will play its final game on May 16, 2021. Watch Eredivisie live in India!

The Eredivisie is in its 63rd season in Dutch football, after rebranding from the National Championship in 1956.

The I Lancieri, 26-time champions of the Dutch top-flight league, had a major dip in recent years and their 2018-19 title was, in fact, their first title in five years. In this period, PSV Eindhoven won the league thrice while Luciano Narsingh’s parent club, Feyenoord, lifted the Eredivisie trophy just once. 

Ajax led the Dutch league table by a significant margin in the 2019-20 season, but the campaign was abandoned due to the pandemic.

Netherlands�?top-tier football competition has some serious competition going on for the only UEFA Europa League spot. PSV, with 55 points, sit second and are closely followed by AZ Alkmaar with 52 points and Vitesse with 51 points.

Matchweek 34 will see Luciano Narsingh’s FC Twente making a trip to Abe Lenstra Stadion to face Heerenveen. So far this season, the 30-year-old winger has played 20 games in all competitions and has scored six goals.

Eredivisie 2021 schedule, fixtures and live India match times

All times in Indian Standard Time (IST)

Matchweek 27

Saturday, March 20, 2021: Heerenveen vs Twente - 12:30 AM IST

Saturday, March 20, 2021: Fortuna Sittard vs Utrecht - 9:00 PM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: Feyenoord vs FC Emmen - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: RKC Waalwijk vs Groningen - 1:30 AM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: PEC Zwolle vs VVV - 4:45 PM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: Vitesse vs Willem II - 7:00 PM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: AZ Alkmaar vs PSV - 7:00 PM IST

Sunday, March 21, 2021: Heracles vs Sparta - 9:15 PM IST

Monday, March 22, 2021: Ajax vs Den Haag - 12:30 AM IST

Matchweek 28

Saturday, April 3, 2021: VVV vs Groningen - 10:15 PM IST

Saturday, April 3, 2021: Willem II vs AZ Alkmaar - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, April 3, 2021: Twente vs Vitesse - 11:30 PM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: Sparta vs PEC Zwolle - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: Feyenoord vs Fortuna Sittard - 3:45 PM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: Den Haag vs Utrecht - 4:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: PSV vs Heracles - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: Heerenveen vs Ajax - 8:15 PM IST

Sunday, April 4, 2021: FC Emmen vs RKC Waalwijk - 8:15 IST

Matchweek 29

Friday, April 9, 2021: Vitesse vs Den Haag - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, April 10, 2021: Heracles vs Willem II - 10:30 PM IST

Saturday, April 10, 2021: Fortuna Sittard vs FC Emmen - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, April 10, 2021: AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta - 11:30 IST

Sunday, April 11, 2021: PEC Zwolle vs Twente - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, April 11, 2021: Utrecht vs Feyenoord - 3:45 PM IST

Sunday, April 11, 2021: VVV vs PSV - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 11, 2021: Groningen vs Heerenveen - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 11, 2021: RKC Waalwijk vs Ajax - 8:15 PM IST

Matchweek 30

Friday, April 23, 2021: Willem II vs RKC Waalwijk - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, April 24, 2021: Heerenveen vs PEC Zwolle - 8:00 PM IST

Saturday, April 24, 2021: PSV vs Groningen - 10:15 PM IST

Saturday, April 24, 2021: Sparta vs VVV - 11:30 PM IST

Sunday, April 25, 2021: Ajax vs AZ Alkmaar - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, April 25, 2021: Twente vs Utrecht - 3:45 PM IST

Sunday, April 25, 2021: Den Haag vs Fortuna Sittard - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 25, 2021: FC Emmen vs Heracles - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, April 25, 2021: Feyenoord vs Vitesse - 8:15 PM IST

Matchweek 31

Saturday, May 1, 2021: Heracles vs VVV - 12:30 AM IST

Saturday, May 1, 2021: Fortuna Sittard vs Twente - 10:15 PM IST

Saturday, May 1, 2021: RKC Waalwijk vs AZ Alkmaar - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, May 1, 2021: Vitesse vs PEC Zwolle - 11:30 PM IST

Sunday, May 2, 2021: Utrecht vs Willem II - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, May 2, 2021: Den Haag vs Feyenoord - 3:45 PM IST

Sunday, May 2, 2021: Groningen vs Sparta - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 2, 2021: Ajax vs FC Emmen - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 2, 2021: PSV vs Heerenveen - 8:15 PM IST

Matchweek 32

Friday, May 7, 2021: Sparta vs Vitesse - 11:30 PM IST

Saturday, May 8, 2021: Twente vs Heracles - 8:00 PM IST

Saturday, May 8, 2021: Heerenveen vs Utrecht - 10:15 PM IST

Saturday, May 8, 2021: AZ Alkmaar vs Fortuna Sittard - 11:30 PM IST

Sunday, May 9, 2021: VVV vs RKC Waalwijk - 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, May 9, 2021: FC Emmen vs Groningen - 3:45 PM IST

Sunday, May 9, 2021: PEC Zwolle vs Den Haag - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 9, 2021: Feyenoord vs Ajax - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 9, 2021: Willem II vs PSV - 8:15 PM IST

Matchday 33

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Heracles vs Feyenoord - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Fortuna Sittard vs Vitesse - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: RKC Waalwijk vs Twente - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Sparta vs Utrecht - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: FC Emmen vs Heerenveen - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Den Haag vs Willem II - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Ajax vs VVV - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: PSV vs PEC Zwolle - 6:00 PM IST

Thursday, May 13, 2021: Groningen vs AZ Alkmaar - 6:00 PM IST

Matchday 34

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Twente vs Den Haag - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Feyenoord vs REC Waalwijk - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Willem II vs Fortuna Sittard - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: AZ Alkmaar vs Heracles - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Vitesse vs Ajax - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Heerenveen vs Sparta - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: PEC Zwolle vs Groningen - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: Utrecht vs PSV - 6:00 PM IST

Sunday, May 16, 2021: VVV vs FC Emmen - 6:00 PM IST

How to watch Eredivisie live in India?

The Eredivisie will be telecast live on the Eurosport TV channel in India. Only select matches will be broadcast.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Olaf Kraak

The January transfer window is starting to keep up the pace as we enter the second week of its operation. Europe’s best are eager to bolster their strengths, given the return of cup competitions, and we dig into the latest happenings in the English Premier League.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah to join Bayern Leverkusen

Manchester United’s Timothy Fosu-Mensah is currently in advanced talks to join Bundesliga side Bayern Leverkusen in a £1.5million deal. The Netherlands player, out of contract at the end of the season, has made only three starts for United in nearly four years and has rejected an offer of a three-year deal to find more first-team opportunities elsewhere. Fosu-Mensah wished to return to AFC Ajax, but that looks unlikely.

Bayer Leverkusen are in advanced talks to sign Timothy Fosu-Mensah from Man Utd, as per @samuelluckhurst. There are ‘positive feelings�?to complete the deal soon, personal terms have been agreed - there are still some details to be sorted between the two clubs. #mufc

�?Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 11, 2021

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently confirmed that two-three players would be leaving the club. When asked about the 23-year-old, he stated, “It’s difficult when you have good players, talented players, and you can’t give them game-time. He’s now at the stage where he needs to go and play again. It might be the end of January, or in the summer where he finds somewhere else, he’s working hard, so he’s ready for a move for any club he feels ready for."

The other players Solskjaer has hinted out are Argentine duo Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo. Both players are out of contracts and are looking for a club to buy them. Odion Ighalo, on loan from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of January.

Eddie Nketiah not leaving Arsenal this month 

Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, confirmed in a press conference that Eddie Nketiah will not leave the club in January. The youngster was linked with a move to West Ham, who are on the hunt for a replacement as Sebastien Haller left the Hammers for Ajax. The 21-year-old, and French forward Alexandre Lacazette, are in the last months of their contracts and are awaiting fresh terms.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce are still pushing for a Mesut Ozil deal. When asked about the player’s future, Arteta said he is still waiting for the right solution. “There’s no update. We still have to try to find the right solution for the player and the club.�?he quoted.

In other news, Rob Holding is set to sign a new contract with Arsenal. Matteo Guendouzi, on loan at Hertha Berlin, seems unlikely to make the deal permanent and could return to north London this month. On the flip side, Genoa has confirmed their intent to sign Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

Stuttgart winger Nicolas Gonzalez entrancing Tottenham

The Athletic has reported a deal for VfB Stuttgart’s Nicolas Gonzalez to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentinian forward has also caught Juventus and Leeds United’s attention, but Gonzalez is seemingly on course to sign up for Jose Mourinho’s Lilywhites.

 

The 22-year-old has recently signed an extension to his contract that keeps him at the club until 2024, but Stuttgart seeks around �?7 million for him to depart. The winger has been in fine form, scoring for both club and country in the past few games, and is likely to see his market value skyrocket if he continues to perform in this manner.

Nuno Mendes continues to be linked with Liverpool 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp suggested earlier that the Premier League champions would have a relatively quiet transfer window, despite their ongoing defensive dilemma.

On the rumored £60m bid for RB Leipzig center-back Dayot Upamecano, Klopp asserted that the club couldn’t pay such an amount for a player in the winter transfer window.

Reports strongly suggest that the Reds have submitted a higher bid for Nuno Mendes after Sporting CP have rejected an initial �?/span>25 million offer for the 18-year-old. Georginio Wijnaldum’s future hangs in the balance after he rejected an offer by Liverpool. The club faithful is eager to see a positive development in the contract talks with the Dutch international.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / ANDREAS GEBERT

Two games into the new UEFA Champions League season and we have been duly entertained by some exhilarating performances, especially from an individual front. So, as we approach the third matchweek of the competition, we look at five players you need to add in your fantasy teams in order to ensure a rewarding week.

Player: Joao Felix

Team: Atletico Madrid

Match: Lokomotiv Moscow vs Atletico Madrid

After struggling for fitness in his debut season at Atletico Madrid, 20-year-old Joao Felix has made a grand comeback in the 2020/21 campaign, already scoring half the goals (3) he managed in the entire 2019/20 La Liga season (6). Felix is enjoying a great run of form of late, having bagged four goals in his last two outings and you can expect more of the same from the Portuguese wunderkind.

Lokomotiv Moscow are without a win in their last four games and have conceded two goals in each of those fixtures. So with their defence struggling, punt on Felix to come back home with better points. 

Player: Dusan Tadic

Team: Ajax

Match: Midtjylland vs Ajax

Dusan Tadic has been a real revelation for Ajax since moving from Southampton in 2018. This season, too, the 31-year-old has bagged six goals and two assists in all competitions and is arriving on the back of scoring in three consecutive games. In fact, five of his six goals have come in his last five outings, meaning that the Serbian international will be a potent threat for Midtjylland, who have conceded goals at will. The Danish team has won just one of their last six games in all competitions while conceding a whopping 15 goals during the tenure. 

Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Team: Juventus

Match: Ferencvaros vs Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo’s last league action before Sunday’s win over Spezia came against Roma in a 2-2 draw back in late September. The Portugal captain had since missed five games after testing positive for the global virus but it didn’t take long for him to assert his claim. Coming on as a substitute in the 56th minute against Spezia, the 35-year-old scored a brace to announce his comeback in style. With no Champions League appearances to his name so far this season, Ronaldo will be riding high on confidence to finally open his account in the competition, and a game against Ferencvaros is the perfect platform, to say the least. They have lost just one of their last five games but lack of experience on the bigger stage rightly gives Ronaldo a perfect opportunity to strike.

Player: Robert Lewandowski

Team: Bayern Munich

Match: RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich

Like Ronaldo, striker Robert Lewandowski, too is yet to open his account in the Champions League but it is about time. Salzburg are on the top of the Austrian Bundesliga standings but winless in the Champions League this season. Lewandowksi, on his part, is coming on the back of seven goals and two assists in his last five outings, meaning that Bayern are certain to count on their marksman. 10 goals and three assists in a mere five Bundesliga games tell how vicious he has been this season too, and you can rightly expect a goal or two from him on Tuesday night.

Player: Ansu Fati

Team: Barcelona

Match: Barcelona vs Dynamo Kyiv

“I would advise him to keep working and improving. Yesterday I spoke with him to improve the concentration issue. His turnovers are due to lack of concentration, not quality�?Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman recently said of Ansu Fati. When you think about it, it is exactly what it is. At 18, Ansu Fati is a raw talent and can be a real threat for any big team on a given day. So when Barcelona take on Dynamo Kyiv, Fati will be the one to keep an eye. He has already notched five goals and an assist this season and is certain to keep the Ukrainian team on their toes.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Vincenzo Pinto

Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek has agreed personal terms with Manchester United ahead of his reported £40m move. The deal is set to be completed in coming days, with the player having his medical while being with the Netherlands squad before travelling to the UK after the Nations League games against Poland (September 4) and Italy (September 7).

United have fended off interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and this has arguably been one of the swiftest moves ever done in United's history, with Ajax agreeing the terms in a first bid. Van de Beek has been in demand for a long time, but what makes him this special? We take a look.

Background

Born in 1997, Van de Beek started out at his local academy at Veensche Boys, before Ajax came calling in 2008. The midfielder’s rise through the youth ranks at Ajax was rapid, to say the least. By 2014, he was part of the club’s U19 setup, just aged 16, and was soon moved to the U21 team. 

It was in November 2015 that the midfielder made his first-team debut in a 2-1 win against Scottish giants Celtic in a UEFA Europa League contest, at the age of 18 years and seven months. While he was in and around the first-team for the next season, it was in the 2017/18 campaign when he finally became a first-team regular as another academy man, Davy Klaassen, left the club. 

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The youngster slotted in so seamlessly into the first-team that the departure of Klaassen was hardly felt. Van de Beek went on to make 39 appearances across all competitions in the 2017/18 season, finishing with 13 goals and six assists. It was during the same season that he also broke into the Netherlands national team as well. 

But the 2018/19 season was the one where he firmly put himself on the map in European football, as he, along with fellow academy midfielder Frenkie de Jong, led Ajax to their first Eredivisie title in five years and a memorable semi-final run in the Champions League.

Van de Beek finished the 2018/19 season with 17 goals and 13 assists from 57 matches in all competitions, that included three goals in the Champions League. Two of the three came in the knockout stages, one against Juventus and Tottenham each.

While De Jong left for Barcelona last summer, Van de Beek stayed put at Ajax despite interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United and has been in fine form once again. The 23-year-old has plundered 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 matches this season and will be unable to add to that tally further with the Dutch season being called off and Ajax already out of the Europa League.

Season	Appearances	Goals	Assists
2015/16	10	1	0
2016/17	32	0	4
2017/18	39	13	6
2018/19	57	17	13
2019/20	37	14	11
Total	175	45	34

As can be seen from the numbers, Van de Beek has been constantly improving with each passing season, with his goal and assist returns on an upward curve consistently. Should the 2019/20 season had continued in the Netherlands, there was a great chance that he would have bettered his numbers from last season.

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Why is Van de Beek in such demand?

The fact that Van de Beek can slot into any role in the middle of the park makes him such a valuable asset to the team. Be it as a No.10 or as a box-to-box midfielder or even as a deep-lying midfielder, the 23-year-old is more than capable of holding his own in any of the roles asked of him.

Such versatility is what makes the nine-time capped one of the most in-demand footballers ahead of the upcoming transfer window. 

Often, the 23-year-old acts as the link between the defence and attack for Ajax, starting moves, and has also mastered the art of making late runs into the box, a-la Frank Lampard, and finding the back of the net consistently. 

Out of his 2.1 shots per 90 minutes in the Eredivisie (23 games), 1.8 come from within the penalty box, but none in the six-yard box. This gives an indication of the positions he gets into when his team is attacking and how adept he is at making those late forward pushes to catch the defenders off guard.

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Van de Beek completed 1.9 key passes per 90 minutes in the Dutch top-flight this season, highlighting his ability to create chances for his teammates. 

But the midfielder also excels in the defensive side of things, which is what makes him such an all-round performer. In the 2018/19 Eredivisie campaign, Van de Beek averaged 2.2 tackles for every 90 minutes on the field, showing that he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in the middle of the park.

Someone with such all-round abilities, Van de Beek can operate as the ball-carrier in a 4-3-3 setup or can easily be used in the No. 10 role or in the midfield double-pivot in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 

The 23-year-old has the sense and the awareness to know when to press forward and attack and when to stay back, while this same game-reading ability comes to his aid in the defensive phase of the game. Blessed with physicality, speed and good close control, in many ways Van de Beek is the complete package of a modern-day central midfielder.

What do the experts say?

Former Ajax manager Frank de Boer, who handed Van de Beek his first-team debut, revealed how he first learned about the midfielder’s talents. "Dennis [Bergkamp] started talking enthusiastically about a talent in his youth team. It was a boy who reminded Dennis of himself at that age. That was the signal for me to keep an eye on that guy. That was Donny."

Bryan Roy, who coached Van de Beek during his youth team days at Ajax, goes on to describe the Dutchman as a total footballer.

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“Physically he has always been devastating since he knows how to attack and defend with the same skill. He was very shy but already smart on the playing field. He is a total footballer; offensive runs are one of his great specialities.�?/span> 

Only sky is the limit for the midfield powerhouse that is Donny van de Beek.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk