Month: February 2025
Vinicius Jr Rejects New Real Madrid Contract Amid Saudi Arabia Interest
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has reportedly turned down a new contract offer from the club, amid increasing interest from Saudi Pro League clubs. Despite having a deal that runs until 2027 with a staggering €1 billion (£830 million) release clause, Madrid are keen to secure his long-term future.
Key Player for Real Madrid’s Treble Win
Vinicius Jr was instrumental in Real Madrid’s incredible 2023/24 season, where they clinched the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga title, and the Spanish Super Cup. Across all competitions, the 24-year-old Brazilian made 37 goal contributions in 40 matches, further cementing his reputation as one of the best wingers in world football.
He was awarded The Best FIFA Men’s Player for his outstanding season, although he finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Manchester City’s Rodri.
Contract Talks Stall
According to The Athletic, talks between Real Madrid and Vinicius’ camp regarding a contract extension have stalled. The player’s representatives believe he deserves a salary increase that reflects his status as one of the world’s top footballers.
While Madrid have expressed their intent to keep Vinicius at the Santiago Bernabéu, their initial offer has been rebuffed. The forward is reportedly being courted by Saudi Arabian clubs, who had early discussions about a possible move during the 2024 summer transfer window.
👉 Also Read: Latest Champions League News on Liquid Sports
Vinicius Jr’s Loyalty to Madrid
Despite the transfer rumors, Vinicius Jr has consistently expressed his desire to remain with the club. After helping Madrid defeat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in October 2024, he told the media:
“I’m still only 24. I want to stay here forever and contribute as much as possible to this team, which has given me everything since I arrived.”
He echoed those sentiments again last month after netting his 100th goal for the club in a 5-1 thrashing of RB Salzburg:
“It’s very important for me to reach 100 goals and be a part of this club’s history,” he told Real Madrid TV.
What’s Next for Vinicius?
With interest from the Saudi Pro League heating up and Madrid eager to keep their star man, fans will be watching closely to see how this saga unfolds. Will Vinicius Jr continue to make history with Los Blancos, or could a blockbuster move to the Middle East be on the cards?
Vinicius Jr has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia/Angel Martinez/Getty Images
“At 24 years old, and after seven seasons, to be making history is something very important for me and my entire family. Let’s hope I can carry on here for many more years.”
Vinicius Jr is one of just 23 players to have reached the landmark for Madrid and now sits just two goals behind legendary striker Ronaldo’s tally. “Only 23 players have scored 100 goals and among them is one of my idols, Ronaldo Nazario, who has always given me a lot of advice on how to improve in front of goal, how to shoot better,” he continued.
“Cristiano [Ronaldo] too. They’re players who I’ve seen, and who have defined an era at this club. Let’s hope I can follow in their footsteps. Cristiano scored 451 goals for Real Madrid. More goals than games! And I’ve seen almost all of them. He’s an icon, who’s been with me since I was a boy. Being one of those who has reached the benchmark of 100 [goals] is a huge source of pride.”
Source: The Mirror
Tottenham are aiming to avoid two domestic cup exits in the space of four days when they face Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday evening.
Expectations were relatively low for the Lilywhites as Ange Postecoglou took his battered and bruised squad to Anfield on Thursday night with a 1-0 lead to cling onto. They sought to retain their advantage via some sound penalty-box defending early on, but quickly collapsed after Cody Gakpo restored parity in the tie. They failed to lay a glove on Liverpool in an eventual 4-0 defeat; exiting the Carabao Cup with a whimper.
Given the role cup competitions have played in ensuring supporters just about stayed onside with the manager, Sunday is a huge game for Postecoglou.
Villa overcame Premier League opposition in the form of West Ham to advance into the fourth round, and they enjoyed a rare midweek of respite after losing at Wolves last weekend.
Unai Emery’s side have endured an indifferent domestic season but were one of the busiest operators in the January transfer window and are aiming to set up a productive end to the campaign.
Aston Villa team news
Emery has several new toys at his disposal and it’ll be interesting to see how many he crams into Sunday’s starting XI. While he can no longer call upon Jhon Duran, he does have Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio as options to fill the void left by Ollie Watkins, who is out injured.
Donyell Malen is another January addition to consider.
Villa’s defensive absences – Emery is currently without Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres – have been hampered further by Axel Disasi ineligibility after appearing in the FA Cup for Chelsea earlier this season. Ross Barkley is also sidelined.
Tottenham team news
Richarlison is poised for another spell on the sidelines after he picked up a calf injury at Anfield on Thursday night. Deadline Day arrival Mathys Tel replaced him on the night and the young Frenchman should make his first start for the club on Sunday with Dominic Solanke likely to be absent again.
While Postecoglou was hopeful that several of his currently injured stars would be available in the coming weeks, no injured stars are expected to be back for this fixture.
Cristian Romero’s recovery is progressing at a snail’s pace, and Spurs fans will have to wait a little while longer to see Micky van de Ven back in action. Radu Dragusin is a long-term absentee.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham score prediction
Two of Tottenham’s finest performances and results under Postecoglou have arrived against the Villans, but they have their work cut out if they’re to repeat such brilliance on Sunday.
You’ve got to expect the Lilywhites to be flat after Thursday’s pounding, with their main man this season, Dejan Kulusevski, running on fumes. Their midfield is struggling and Solanke is sidelined, it’s no wonder Spurs are finding it mightily tough to merely get up the pitch. Villa’s compact mid-block will likely cause them a few issues.
Ange should turn to youth in a bid to galvanise his squad, while Villa will hope their new arrivals hit the ground running on home soil. There should be goals in this FA Cup tie, with the hosts’ week off handing them the advantage against a beleaguered Spurs outfit.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-2 Tottenham
Credit: 90Mins
The history books will say Leyton Orient led their thrilling FA Cup fourth-round tie with Premier League champions Manchester City for 40 minutes because of a Stefan Ortega own goal.
Forget that.
To anyone lucky enough to be there to witness it – a tie Man City recovered to win 2-1 – Leyton Orient scored thanks to a wonder strike from Jamie Donley.
It was the Tottenham loanee who seized on the loose ball after City midfielder Nico Gonzalez had the ball taken off him just inside the visitors’ half. It was Donley who spotted Ortega off his line and executed a quite brilliant 50-yard chip that sailed over the City goalkeeper.
Yes, the ball struck the bar and only crossed the line because it hit Ortega as the German failed to regain his balance after trying to make the initial save. It was Donley’s goal.
“It is a shame it has gone down as an own goal,” said Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens. “It is not deserved and I am sure Ortega doesn’t want it. It is one thing seeing it, it is another executing.”
Despite the result, the goal belongs in FA Cup folklore.
A series of experienced former top-level professionals certainly spoke about the effort as if Donley has scored it.
“It’s an absolutely remarkable goal,” said ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown on Match of the Day. “It’s the strike of a lifetime. To even think about shooting from there – wow.”
“What a spot,” enthused Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live. “What a story. It’s absolutely sensational.
“It will go down as an own goal but it is one of the greatest FA Cup goals.”
But what did it feel like to actually do it?
“I know I hit the goal well,” said Donley. “I knew it fell for me nicely.
“I saw him off his line and luckily it went in. It would have been a lot nicer if we won but it was a good moment.”
Donley had previously scored five goals this season. In status or artistic impression, none can compare to this one.
Even City boss Pep Guardiola, while seething at what he believed was a clear foul on his £50m debutant Gonzalez – whose status as the replacement for injured Ballon d’Or winner Rodri makes him such a key figure, and who, as a result of the perceived infringement, now has his participation in Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first-leg in doubt, was full of admiration.
“What a goal,” he said. “What a fantastic shot – the quality, the technique, the speed, the flight of the ball.
“When you concede this goal, you just congratulate Donley. He’s an incredible left-footed player and he made a fantastic goal.”
‘Spurs have loaned us one of their best young players’
A youth international for both England and Northern Ireland, this tie was not the first time Donley had faced City.
The 20-year-old made his senior Tottenham debut at Etihad Stadium in December 2024, coming on as a last-minute substitute just before Dejan Kulusevski scored in a memorable 3-3 draw.
That was one of four substitute appearances totalling 10 minutes for the Antrim-born midfielder.
Tottenham felt he needed to go away to continue his development.
On the evidence of his performance against City, it was not just his Ronnie Radford-esque strike but his all-round industrious performance that made Donley stand out.
It was easy to suggest to Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens the goal might have wrecked any chance of luring him back to Brisbane Road next season.
However, as Wellens made clear, that would require his side to secure promotion from League One, where they currently sit ninth.
“Spurs have loaned us one of their best young players,” he said.
“We think we have developed him really well over the last six months. If he carries on with same attitude, intensity and work ethic, he might be playing against them [City] week in week out.
“Unless we are in the Championship there is no way we get him back next year. That is the nature of my job and the club we are at. We have to take first loans. If we wait until they have had a loan, they bypass us.
“The plan with Jamie was one of two things, he comes to us, develops and turns into a man, then he either goes back to Tottenham and gets into their first team or he goes to the Championship. There is a clear development plan for him and, going forward, the Championship is the minimum for him.”
Pep laughs off ‘sacked in the morning’ jibes
Guardiola seemed to enjoy his day in east London.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has not lost to a lower-league team since City were beaten by Wigan at the DW Stadium in 2018.
Yet he spoke enthusiastically afterwards about difficult FA Cup days in the past he had encountered at places like Newport and Cheltenham.
The City boss was even able to make light of the taunting he received from the home fans as his side tried to come to terms with being a goal behind.
“The atmosphere was fantastic,” he said. “Even when they say ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’.
“It’s routine in all the stadiums right now. With this result, I think my chairman is not going to sack me but it [the atmosphere] was really good.
Credit: Simon Stone-BBC
Chelsea make the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday evening as they aim to pile more misery on the Seagulls.
Having been beaten on home soil by Everton previously, Brighton were stunned last weekend as they lost 7-0 against high-flying Nottingham Forest. Fabian Hurzeler’s side proved no match for Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga, who condemned them to a humiliating defeat.
Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of any nervousness or deflation on the south coast this weekend having returned to winning ways on Monday evening. The Blues beat London foes West Ham United 2-1 courtesy of Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s unfortunate own goal.
Brighton team news
Brighton have a mountain of injuries at present and are guaranteed to be without Mats Wieffer, James Milner, Jason Steele, Ferdi Kadioglu, Solly March and Igor against Chelsea.
The trio of Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari and Pervis Estupinan are all major doubts for the weekend, although Hurzeler suggested that two of the three could be involved without revealing any further details.
Winter recruit Eiran Cashin is available and is not cup-tied as he didn’t represent Derby County in the competition this season. He could make his debut in some capacity.
Chelsea team news
Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu are both doubtful to feature at the weekend after sustaining injuries in the victory over West Ham. They could join Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and David Datro Fofana – who the Blues recalled early from his loan at Goztepe – on the sidelines.
Chelsea were busy on deadline day and allowed four players to leave the club on temporary loan deals. Joao Felix, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi all departed, several of whom might have started against Brighton.
Enzo Maresca could make changes for the FA Cup but is likely to field a strong side given Chelsea don’t play again until they meet Brighton once more at the Amex Stadium next Friday in the Premier League.
Brighton vs Chelsea score prediction
There were six goals in the duel between the teams at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, with Cole Palmer scoring four during the first half in a dazzling display on that day. Similar excitement could arise on the south coast this time around, with both teams scoring in seven of the last eight meetings.
Brighton’s injuries certainly leave them in an awkward position ahead of Chelsea’s visit but they still have an abundance of attacking quality, with the likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro and Yankuba Minteh all likely to cause the Blues’ shaky defence issues.
However, Chelsea’s immense squad depth and growing confidence should help them secure a hard-fought triumph, even if they need extra-time to reach the fifth round.
Prediction: Brighton 2-3 Chelsea (AET)
Credit: 90Mins
The biggest fixture in the European calendar this weekend takes place in the Spanish capital as Real and Atletico Madrid do battle in a pivotal clash in the context of the La Liga title race.
Diego Simeone’s ever-evolving Atleti took command of the division before they were stunned at Leganes last month, but they recovered swiftly and rediscovered their imperious groove ahead of the derby.
The visitors boast La Liga’s meanest defence but are also mightily exciting going forward. They’ve scored 11 times in their most recent three outings and are hunting their first win at the Bernabeu since 2016. Victory for Atleti would see them leapfrog their Madrid rivals at the summit and blow the race wide open.
Real’s advantage at the top is a mere point after they were beaten by Espanyol last weekend. Far more questions surround Carlo Ancelotti’s side than Simeone’s heading into the derby, and the league leaders were hardly convincing in midweek as they edged past Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Atletico put Getafe to the sword the night before to also advance into the semi-finals.
While Saturday’s bout won’t decide the La Liga title, it will have a huge bearing on the dynamic at the division’s summit.
Real Madrid team news
Madrid have availability issues in defence and Ancelotti may have to wheel out a back four he never would’ve considered using for a fixture of this magnitude. With Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Eder Militao all out, Aurelien Tchouameni is likely to partner Raul Asencio at centre-back.
Lucas Vazquez will continue to fill in for Dani Carvajal down the right, while Ancelotti will choose between Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia on the opposite flank.
The Italian could opt for extra beef in the middle of the park in a bid to supply balance against an Atleti team that counter-attacks superbly. Jude Bellingham may have to perform a more restricted role and operate closer to the midfield pivot.
Eduardo Camavinga should be back in action.
Atletico Madrid team news
The visitors are in much better shape on the injury front, although summer arrival Robin Le Normand is suspended for the derby. Clement Lenglet featured heavily while Le Normand was out with a significant head injury, and the Frenchman is expected to deputise this weekend.
Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo Riquelme are Atleti’s only other expected absentees.
Englishman Conor Gallagher has enjoyed a run in the team and should start on Saturday, while Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann are blossoming into a majestic double-team up top.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid score prediction
It’s been a while since Simeone oversaw a victory on this ground, but Atletico are primed to prevail this weekend.
Madrid’s talent cannot be denied, and they will be in this title race until the last. However, good teams are finding ways of ruthlessly exposing their distinct flaws, and Atletico are built to thrive against sides of Madrid’s imbalance.
The league’s best defence could keep a star-studded frontline at bay just enough to facilitate a dominant performance from the visitors in transition against an injury-hit backline without a sound enough structure ahead of them.
Prediction: Real Madrid 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Credit:90Min
Everton are aiming to continue their resurgence in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday afternoon when they host in-form Bournemouth.
The Toffees have been in fine form since the return of David Moyes to the dugout and have now won their last three Premier League matches. Victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City have seen them move nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Bournemouth have been in similarly impressive form of late and tasted their first defeat since November during last weekend’s 2-0 home loss to league leaders Liverpool. Despite a stream of injuries, the Cherries have managed to maintain their lofty standards under January’s Manager of the Month Andoni Iraola.
Everton have lost both their meetings with Bournemouth this season and will be seeking revenge for their Goodison Park humiliation back in August. Having been two goals to the good, the Merseysiders proceeded to concede three in the 87th minute and beyond as they suffered a devastating comeback defeat.
Everton team news
Everton are without a host of first-teamers for the visit of Bournemouth, including leading number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Beto replaced the England international last weekend and scored twice against Leicester.
Striker Armando Broja is also sidelined in the forward line alongside Dwight McNeil and Youssef Chermiti, while Seamus Coleman is a doubt in defence and Orel Mangala is out for the season with an ACL tear.
January signing Carlos Alcaraz could make his debut after joining on loan from Flamengo.
Bournemouth team news
Bournemouth didn’t make many additions to their squad in January and prioritised signing young talent despite their extensive injury list.
They are still without the injured right-back trio of Adam Smith, Julian Araujo and James Hill, while fellow defender Marcos Senesi is missing, too. Alex Scott is the only absentee in the engine room.
The attacking duo of Evanilson and Enes Unal are both in the treatment room for the long-term and Dango Ouattara will lead the line again on Saturday. Luis Sinisterra is also a major doubt despite edging closer to a return.
Everton vs Bournemouth score prediction
Everton and Bournemouth both enter this game in impressive form and it could well be a coin toss between the sides as they vie for a fifth round berth. The pair should play first-choice teams, although the Toffees may have one eye on the upcoming Merseyside derby next Wednesday.
Bournemouth have won their last three battles with Everton and seven of the last nine meetings, with Iraola’s men boasting the superior attacking talent that could decide such a tight fixture.
Prediction: Everton 1-2 Bournemouth
Credit:90Mins
- Man Utd earned a dramatic 2-1 win over Leicester City on Friday
- Harry Maguire’s late winner was offside but allowed to stand
- Ruud van Nistelrooy took a swipe at the history of his former employers
Van Nistelrooy’s United counterpart Ruben Amorim could do little more than agree with the furious Dutchman.
The Foxes took a first-half lead in their fourth-round tie at Old Trafford. Joshua Zirkzee equalised after the break and the score was level at 1-1 as the game ticked into the third and final minute of added time. Maguire thumped Bruno Fernandes’ swerving free kick into the bottom corner to snatch a late – and not entirely deserved – victory for the hosts, but replays showed that the centre-back had strayed offside.
As VAR will not be introduced into the world’s oldest cup competition until the fifth round, the incorrect on-field decision stood – much to the fury of Van Nistelrooy.
“We were not defeated in Fergie time,” the former United striker huffed to ITV Sport, referring to the last few minutes of a match which produced so many late winners under Sir Alex Ferguson. “We were defeated in ‘offside time’. This wasn’t necessary.
“VAR you have for [an offside that is] a couple of centimetres, inches. This was half a metre, clear and in line. It’s a hard one to take because the team deserved the draw.
“With extra time, if you stay in the game, you never know what happens. It was a really good team performance. We started really well, pressing United, on the ball very stable. We deserved to go 1-0 up at half-time.
“Of course, we knew that there would be some pressure on us in the second half and some chances, but not even that much. So we deserved to go into extra time and go into the battle for extra time and maybe penalties. So decisions like this, at our level, are hard to swallow.”
Unprompted by the BBC interviewer in his own post-match media duties, Amorim admitted: “The goal was offside. We should have VAR. VAR should be here to overturn the decision. This is hard on the opponent, this is hard on Ruud.”
United failed to attempt a single shot on target in a toothless first half. The introduction of Alejandro Garnacho during the interval sparked some form of fightback but Amorim conceded that his side was “poor” and “need to improve”.
Credit: 90Mins