MIAMI: After pulling off the biggest upset at the Club World Cup so far, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal will have their sights set on reaching the semi-finals when they face Brazilian club Fluminense in Orlando early tomorrow morning.
The Saudi Pro League club put in a superb performance to beat English Premier League club Manchester City 4-3 in extra time in the last 16.
Although there was no lack of effort and courage in Al-Hilal’s performance against Pep Guardiola’s squad, it was also accompanied by impressive tactical discipline, form and technical quality.
And they will be remembered for putting Middle Eastern football clubs on the world map through victories that gave them international influence.
Italian manager Simone Inzaghi took over the team just before the start of the tournament and has deployed experienced talent such as Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo, former Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
And Milinkovic, who played alongside Inzaghi at Lazio in Serie A, proved his most influential performance against City and earned praise from Guardiola.
Inzaghi is happy he has key players he can communicate with and use their experience for the big test.
“I don’t need to know Sergej. He’s a great player who has a combination of quality and quantity,” Inzaghi said after the match.
“He runs a lot, I’m like all the other players. He’s like Koulibaly and Joao Cancelo, speaks Italian, so he also helps the staff and me,” he said.
Fluminense also beat expectations by advancing to the last eight after beating Champions League finalists Inter Milan 2-0.
LISBON: Sporting Lisbon have dealt Arsenal their latest blow by insisting they will not compromise on the value of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres in this summer’s transfer window.
Club president Frederico Varandas has publicly warned the Gunners that only offers of around £70 million will be considered to release Gyokeres.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has set Gyokeres as their main target to strengthen their attacking line-up ahead of the new season, while also monitoring RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
But both of those moves have yet to become a reality.
Gyokeres, 27, is understood to be frustrated with Sporting after claiming the club broke promises to a verbal agreement that allowed him to move for around £60 million, lower than his official release clause of £80 million.
The striker is now reportedly refusing to play until his transfer issue is resolved.
However, Varandas stressed that the club will not bow to any offer that is deemed not to reflect the true value of Gyokeres in the current market.
“We don’t need to sell Viktor Gyokeres. We are calm and always sensitive to the dreams of Viktor and all our players.
“But after weeks of negotiations, we decided not to demand the full value based on the release clause, but rather a price we consider fair. At this time, I believe there is a high probability that he will move,” he said.
Varandas also compared Gyokeres’ value to several other players in the transfer market.
“I saw Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, sold to Arsenal for £51 million.
“(Matheus) Cunha and (Bryan) Mbeumo were also negotiated to Manchester United for around £64 million, although I don’t think they have the market value or quality comparable to Viktor,” he explained.
He also hinted that Sporting would not hesitate to keep Gyokeres in Portugal if Arsenal continued to insist on their offer.
LONDON: Brighton are reportedly ready to submit a lucrative offer to secure the services of Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott in an effort to strengthen their midfield ahead of the new English Premier League (EPL) season.
According to The Sun newspaper , the club has made Elliott their main target after the 22-year-old England player is said to be finding it increasingly difficult to get playing time under Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Brighton are said to be ready to bid around £40 million to convince the Reds to let go of the player, who made 45 appearances last season in all competitions – mostly as a substitute.
The move was also supported by the presence of James Milner, a former Liverpool senior player who is now with Brighton and was Elliott’s mentor when they shared a dressing room at Anfield.
In fact, Brighton’s more open and attacking tactical approach is seen as more in line with Elliott’s playing style, compared to other teams such as Nottingham Forest who were also linked but rejected by the player.
Liverpool are also reportedly open to considering offers, particularly to raise funds to pursue Newcastle United sensational striker Alexander Isak.
Elliott, who joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2019, still has great potential and is expected to be a key name in the England national team of the future, making the race to sign him even more exciting in this summer window.
LONDON: Arsenal have identified Brahim Diaz as an alternative target if they fail to land Rodrygo from Real Madrid in this transfer window.
The Gunners are in the process of strengthening their front line by looking for a left winger in addition to a quality number nine.
Rodrygo, 24, is the main target for Mikel Arteta’s squad after the player’s future at the Bernabeu is still unclear, in addition to Nico Williams, who has long been wanted by Arsenal.
Brahim, 25, is reportedly the best option besides Rodrygo and is much cheaper than the former Santos player.
Arsenal are said to be willing to offer up to 42.6 million pounds to bring the versatile striker to the Emirates.
However, it is not yet certain whether Diaz is ready to make the move to the Premier League. Bayer Leverkusen, currently managed by Erik ten Hag, are also interested in the Moroccan player.
Arsenal also have to compete with Saudi Arabian clubs such as Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal who are capable of offering up to 110.8 million pounds to sign Rodrygo.
Rodrygo may have thought long and hard before deciding to move to a league in the Middle East, but such a high offer would be difficult for Real Madrid to refuse, let alone for a player who is not the first choice of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
However, Rodrygo still has hope of returning to the first team under new manager Xabi Alonso.
LOS ANGELES: New European champions Paris Saint-Germain arrived in the United States this week for the Club World Cup and have set their sights high on the FIFA tournament.
“I think it’s a great competition. Our target is to win a fifth trophy this season,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, who won the Champions League in Munich two weeks ago.
The French giants defeated Inter Milan 5-0 to win the European Champions League title for the first time in their history.
Despite being dominant in the domestic competition, PSG had previously been looking for a formula to dominate the European stage – including spending big to secure the services of star players such as Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.
PSG have played 58 matches since last August and have also swept all domestic trophies in France this season.
PSG’s first match in the Club World Cup is against Atletico Madrid, starring Antoine Griezmann, at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena tomorrow (early Monday morning).
They will also face South American champions Botafogo from Brazil and Seattle Sounders in Group B.
After the Club World Cup, PSG will begin their new campaign with the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.