Cristiano Ronaldo is the top goalscorer of all time in football history according to FIFA,  the international governing body of the sport.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has won 33 trophies including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions League, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. 

Additionally, Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, four-time European Golden Shoes winner and a record three-time UEFA Men's Player of the Year recipient.

Since making his senior professional debut with Sporting CP in August 2002, Ronaldo has shattered several records in the history of football.

The Portuguese footballer holds the record for the most goals (140), most appearances (183) and most assists (42) in the UEFA Champions League.

Interestingly, Ronaldo is the first footballer to score more than 800 goals officially recognised by FIFA.

Furthermore, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in international football. Representing the Portugal national team, the star forward has netted over 125 times for the country.

Apart from the staggering record for his national team, Ronaldo has been a prolific goalscorer for all the clubs that he played for in his illustrious career.

At the age of 17, Ronaldo made his senior debut for Sporting CP in a UEFA Champions League qualifying round at José Alvalade Stadium against Inter Milan.

He netted five goals for Sporting CP before his historic transfer to Manchester United. 

Ronaldo later cemented himself as one of the best footballers of the generation at Manchester United. He scored 145 goals in 346 matches across two spells for the Red Devils.

Ahead of the 2009-10 season, Real Madrid acquired his services for a world record transfer fee at the time of £80 million (�?4 million).

Ronaldo repaid their faith as he became one of the greatest galacticos to have played for Los Blancos.

Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldo netted an astonishing 450 goals in 438 matches across all competitions. He finished as Real Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

Later in July 2018, the Portuguese star signed a four-year contract with Juventus, the most decorated club in Italy.

Ronaldo continued his impressive goalscoring record for the Old Lady as he registered 101 strikes in 134 matches.

In 2021, Ronaldo made an emotional return to Manchester United for a brief second spell before signing for his current club Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.

Even in Asia, the Madeira-born footballer showcased his brilliant goalscoring capabilities as he scored 14 goals in his debut season. 

Ronaldo continued his dream run as he scored 54 goals for club and country, which made him the outright leading scorer in 2023. 

With that in mind, get Cristiano Ronaldo’s total goals and know how many times CR7 scored in football.

Cristiano Ronaldo total goals: How many times has CR7 scored in football

Club	Matches	Goals
Real Madrid	438	450
Manchester United	346	145
Juventus	134	101
Al-Nassr	54	48
Sporting CP	31	5
Portugal	205	128
Total	1208	877

Photo Credit: Alamy

The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi stats reveal that it has been undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in modern football. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated world football for more than a decade now.

While Portuguese superstar Ronaldo made his professional debut for Sporting in 2002, Argentine talisman Messi took the world football by storm when he made his senior debut for La Liga giants Barcelona in 2004.

The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate first became the biggest conundrum in football during the 2007-08 season. Both the football megastars were nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2007. Interestingly, Kaka pipped Ronaldo and Messi to claim the coveted award that year. Meanwhile, Ronaldo finished second with 277 votes while Messi came third with 255 votes.

However, after Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would go on to dominate the Ballon d'Or in the next 10 years.

Playing for Manchester United, Ronaldo (446 votes) claimed his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 after he edged second-placed Messi (281 votes).

In 2009, former Barcelona forward Messi took his revenge as he bagged his maiden Ballon d'Or by beating Ronaldo with 250 votes. 

Since then, Messi won the Ballon d'Or in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. On the other hand, Ronaldo clinched the Ballon d'Or in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Furthermore, Messi has six European Golden Shoes while Ronaldo has won four of them.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi stats

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi Ballon d'Or 

Player	Won	Total
Cristiano Ronaldo	2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017	5
Lionel Messi	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021	7

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi European Golden Shoes

Player	Won	Total
Cristiano Ronaldo	2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15	4
Lionel Messi	2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19	6

In his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo has represented five clubs namely Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr FC. Ronaldo has netted 706 club goals and provided 225 assists in 954 appearances so far. 

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, spent most of his professional career at Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain. During his career, Messi has scored 704 club goals in just 860 matches. He has also recorded 333 assists. 

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals at club level
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	959	710	225
Lionel Messi	866	707	336

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo has scored a staggering 140 goals in 183 appearances in Europe’s biggest football competition so far. Along with 140 goals, the former Manchester United footballer has registered 48 assists.

Messi is second on the list with 129 goals in 162 appearances. He has recorded 45 assists in his UCL career.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in UEFA Champions League
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	183	140	48
Lionel Messi	162	129	45

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi rivalry was at its peak during their stay in La Liga. Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and their arch-rival FC Barcelona’s Messi competed for club titles and personal awards between 2009 and 2018.

While Messi owns the record for most goals for a single club, having scored an astonishing 474 goals in 520 appearances, Ronaldo also showed his greatness as he scored a staggering 311 goals in 292 appearances for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in La Liga
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	292	311	95
Lionel Messi	520	474	216

Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the most goals in international football. Having represented the Portugal national football team since making debut in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 118 goals in 196 appearances along with providing 43 assists so far.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is the leading goalscorer in international football from South America. Playing for the Argentina national football team, Messi has scored 98 goals in 172 appearances. He has also recorded 55 assists so far. 

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in international football
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	198	122	43
Lionel Messi	174	102	56

Cristiano Ronaldo made his FIFA World Cup debut for Portugal in their 1-0 win over Angola at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany in 2006. During their second group D match, Ronaldo converted a penalty kick to score his first World Cup goal against Iran.

Since then, Ronaldo has appeared in four more FIFA World Cups in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. He has scored eight goals and provided two assists in 22 matches so far.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina when he came on as a substitute against Serbia and Montenegro during a FIFA World Cup match in 2006. He scored a goal as well as registered an assist in their 6-0 win.

Messi also played a major role for Argentina in four more editions of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. The Rosario-born footballer has netted 13 goals and recorded eight assists in 26 World Cup appearances so far.

While Messi reached the 2014 FIFA World Cup final before losing 0-1 to Germany, Ronaldo reached the Round of 16 with Portugal in the 2010 and 2018 editions. Messi won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in FIFA World Cups
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	22	8	2
Lionel Messi	26	13	8

Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has more career goals than Lionel Messi currently. So far, the Portuguese star has bagged nine goals for his current team Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi career goals
Player	Matches	Goals	Seasons
Cristiano Ronaldo	1,156	830	2002-present
Lionel Messi	1,018	803	2004-present

However, Lionel Messi has won more trophies than Cristiano Ronaldo across various football competitions for club and country. While Messi has claimed 42 trophies in his career, Ronaldo has clinched 34 titles so far.

Messi’s 42 trophies include ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues and the Copa America title. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s trophy cabinet comprises seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and the UEFA European Championship.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi trophies

Player	Total
Cristiano Ronaldo	34
Lionel Messi	42

 

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Featured photo: JOSEP LAGO / AFP

Born in Sao Pedro, Funchal, a small Portuguese island in Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential was spotted quite early in his career. 

After honing his skills with local clubs like Andorinha and Nacional in his formative years, Ronaldo went for a three-day trial with Sporting CP in 1997 and the Portuguese outfit wasted no time in signing him for £1,500.

By the age of 18, Cristiano Ronaldo made his senior team debut for Sporting CP and was already a hot prospect in Europe. He was linked to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but Ronaldo moved to Manchester United in 2003 for a reported £12.24 million fee.

Cristiano Ronaldo would go on to spend six successful seasons with Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and won three Premier League titles, two Football League Cups, one FA Cup and one UEFA Champions League. 

He was United’s top-scorer in the 2007-08 season and won the first of his five Ballon d’Ors.

Following his successes at United, his stock continued to rise in the football world. Consequently, Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009, spending a then world record £80 million for the Portuguese, making him the most expensive signing at the time.

Ronaldo took no time to settle in as he scored 33 goals in his debut season in La Liga. Nine seasons, four UEFA Champions League titles, four Ballon d’Ors, and two La Liga titles later, Ronaldo decided to embark on a new challenge. 

The forward scored a whopping 450 goals for Real Madrid and left the club as their all-time leading scorer. His latest adventure though would take him to Italy where Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus for a reported �?00 million fee in 2018.

Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Ronaldo guided Juventus to two back-to-back Serie A titles. In 134 appearances for the Turin club, Ronaldo scored 101 goals.

 

 

 

 

 

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On August 27, 2021, Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United on a two-year deal. United paid a reported �?5m transfer fee to Juventus for his signature.

"Manchester United has reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo, subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical," read an official statement from Manchester United.

Since making his senior team debut with Sporting CP in 2002, Ronaldo has gone on to score a whopping 674 goals in his club career. The 36-year-old has won five Ballon d’Ors, five UEFA Champions League titles and the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award twice (2016, 2017).

Cristiano Ronaldo’s teams

Teams	Years	Goals
Sporting CP	2002-2003	5
Manchester United	2003-2009	118
Real Madrid	2009-2018	450
Juventus	2018-2021	101
Manchester United	2021-2022	27
Al Nassr	2023-current	1

Featured photo: AFP / Andrew Yates

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

League leaders Porto (POR) host title challengers Sporting CP (SCP) on matchday 3 of the Primeira Liga 2022-23 season at the iconic Estadio do Dragao in the early hours of Sunday, August 21. The match will start at 1:00 AM IST.

POR vs SCP Dream11 prediction

Arguably the biggest rivalry in Portugal football, the Dragoes vs Leoes fixture will finally hope to see a winner this Sunday as each of their past four league meetings have been drawn.

Considering their overall record in Primeira Liga, Porto might have the edge as they have won 68 of the 176 matches against Sporting while losing 59 times. Porto have not lost to Sporting in the league since 2016.

POR vs SCP Dream11 team tips for Primeira Liga 2022-23

Top tip: Best forward

With two goals in as many league games already, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi remains an outright pick for a forward. Lining alongside Evanilson in a 4-3-1-2 setup, the 30-year-old Iranian professional is rightly expected to cause some kind of damage against Sporting.

Top tip: Best midfielder

Selected by 92.71 per cent of fantasy users, Sporting’s Pedro Goncalves is someone who can trouble the Porto defence with his speed. Acquiring the left side of an attacking front three, the 24-year-old has already scored three goals this season and will be looking to add more to his tally.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

Between Sporting’s Sebastian Coates and Porto’s Pepe, Coates is likely a better pick because not only is he a great defensive asset, but his ability to contribute to his team’s attacks will come in handy too. The former Liverpool defender would be a great addition to your fantasy football team.

For a goalkeeper, Sporting’s Antonio Adan would be a preferred choice mostly because the 35-year-old is expected to be the busier man between the sticks than his competitor Diogo Costa.

POR vs SCP probable playing XI

POR playing XI (probable): Diogo Costa (goalkeeper), Joao Mario, Pepe (captain), Ivan Marcano, Zaidu Sanusi, Marko Grujic, Stephen Eustaquio, Mateus Uribe, Danny Loader, Toni Martinez, Mehdi Taremi

SCP playing XI (probable): Antonio Adan (goalkeeper), Luis Neto, Sebastian Coates (captain), Goncalo Inacio, Pedro Porro, Hidemasa Morita, Manuel Ugarte, Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincao, Marcus Edwards, Pedro Goncalves

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Featured photo: AFP / Miguel Riopa

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

It took Cristiano Ronaldo a mere three years to score 100 goals in a Juventus shirt, and while it has been quite an achievement on a personal front, the fact remains that the I Bianconeri have failed to move past the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League during his tenure.

A glance at their European campaign portrays a despairing picture, to say the least as they have been knocked out by Ajax (2018-19), Lyon (2019-20) and FC Porto (2020-21); the three clubs that had the odds stacked completely against them. 

Juventus�?ambition to win the UEFA Champions League was made evident when they decided to spend a club-record 100 million Euros for the Portugal captain in 2018. And while Ronaldo has been on par, scoring goals week-in, week-out, the Old Lady’s hopes of competing in Europe’s premium competition next season now stand on thin ice.

With only one game to go in the Italian Serie A 2020-21 season, the permutations of Juventus qualifying for the next season’s UCL are complex. Ronaldo is all set to enter the final year of his Juventus contract, and the questions remain - what happens if Juventus miss out on the Champions League? Will we see Ronaldo playing in the Europa League next season?

Now, there have been several reports coming out of Italy regarding his future. While Italian journalist Claudio Raimondi says the Portugal captain wants to honour his Juventus contract right till the end, Todofichajes claims that the star forward has indeed decided to leave Italy.

For someone who holds high ambitions as Cristiano Ronaldo, it is hard to see him playing in the Europa League next season. However, there are several complications if the 36-year-old does decide to leave Turin. While his form hasn’t really been an issue, a year still remaining in his contract could mean the interested party will have to shell out a hefty sum to get his signature. Now, Ronaldo isn’t an investment for the future, he is rather a quick fix, and judging by the look of things, it is hard to see any club splashing 100 million Euros for a 36-year-old. Above all, are Juventus ready to bear a loss in this transaction in the first place?

Will Cristiano Ronaldo transfer to Manchester United?

A return to Old Trafford is being touted as one of the possibilities and while the Red Devils faithful will indeed love to see their former star donning the iconic shirt once again, Manchester United have other positions to fix. The 2020-21 Premier League season should remind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to prioritise getting a new centre-back and a defensive midfielder instead if they are to challenge for the title next season.

If that is indeed the case, it is hard to see United spending a huge amount of money to get Ronaldo back in the Premier League.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo return to Sporting?

While Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, was quick to point out the fact she will try to convince the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to move back to Sporting, his agent, Jorge Mendes has refused any kind of possibility.

"Cristiano is very proud of Sporting winning the championship, as he has demonstrated publicly," Mendes told Portuguese newspaper Record.

"But at the moment, his career plans do not go through Portugal."

What are the other options for Cristiano Ronaldo?

Lack of suitors narrows the choices to two clubs - Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. While PSG’s financial prowess would make them easier to land Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese’s joyful relationship with Zinedine Zidane could work in Madrid’s favour too. 

A return to Real Madrid could be one of the possibilities, but one needs to keep in mind the fact why he left the capital club in the first place. As Ronaldo had himself stated, he no longer felt the club ‘considered him the same way that they did at the start.�?/span>

All this leaves PSG in a strong state. It goes without saying that Ronaldo would love the nature of Ligue 1, but if the French champions do get their hands on the Portuguese, it will be interesting to see how they will accommodate their front line.

Safe to say that Cristiano Ronaldo is standing at a crossroads. While on one way there’s Europa League football and the final year commitment with Juventus, there could be a lack of potential suitors on the other.

Featured photo: AFP / Miguel Medina

It’s a long way to go for the Primeira Liga’s defending champions, FC Porto, as they sit 10 points adrift of the current league leaders Sporting CP, the former club of Manchester United’s midfield general Bruno Fernandes, as the league approaches its 24th matchweek.

Sporting CP are the only team in Portugal’s premier football competition who are yet to lose a game this season, winning 19 of the 23 matches so far. The last time they dropped points was against Porto, who knocked Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus out of the UEFA Champions League. 

As things stand, it’s been a tough competition for the second UCL spot, with both SC Braga and SL Benfica giving Porto a run for their money. A mere three points separate fourth-placed Benfica to Porto.

This fight could well and truly have its winner this weekend when Braga host Benfica at the Estádio Municipal de Braga. Apart from this big game, there is also a scrappy fight going on for the relegation strugglers, with only six points separating bottom-placed SC Farense to 10th placed B-SAD.

It’s been a refreshing change of guard for the fans of Primeira Liga; a league that has been dominated by Porto and Benfica since the 2002-03 season. It was in the 2001-02 season when a team apart from Porto and Benfica had won the title. Incidentally, Sporting won it back then.

Primeira Liga match week 24 schedule, fixtures and India match times

Date, Day	Match	Time (IST)
Saturday, March 20	Gil Vicente vs Nacional	2:00 AM
Saturday, March 20	Pacos Ferreira vs Moreirense	9:00 PM
Saturday, March 20	Santa Clara vs Tondela	9:00 PM
Saturday, March 20	Portimonense vs Porto	11:30 PM
Sunday, March 21	Sporting vs Vitoria SC	2:00 AM
Sunday, March 21	Rio Ave vs B-SAD	8:30 PM
Sunday, March 21	Boavista vs Farense	11:00 PM
Sunday, March 21	Maritimo vs Famalico	11:00 PM
Monday, March 22	Braga vs Benfica	1:30 AM

Portugal’s Primeira Liga will not be broadcast in India.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Miguel Riopa

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