A Manchester United flop could be in line for a return to a familiar stomping ground, while a European heavyweight have laid down a crucial marker in the Kylian Mbappe sweepstakes.
Meanwhile, a trio of attacking stars in the Bundesliga could find themselves in the crosshairs of a misfiring Premier League giant.
Catch up on all of the latest transfer whispers in the latest edition of the Rumour Mill!
Just two-and-a-half years after signing Jadon Sancho for $AUD136 million, Manchester United could be sending the troubled star back to where they initially signed him from.
Multiple outlets report Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund are willing to take Sancho back, which at this stage appears to be a loan.
Sancho enjoyed three stellar seasons with Dortmund and quickly emerged as one of the best young talents in Europe.
It was United who won the race for Sancho with a monster bid but since arriving at Old Trafford the England international has thus far failed to replicate his form.
Such is the strained relationship between Sancho and United boss Erik ten Hag that the former has been forced to train away from the first team since September 14.
Speaking on Transfer Show, Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth was uncertain as to how the transfer might be structured but felt it could be one that suits all parties.
“What will be under discussion right now will be a loan fee potentially and the salary situation because he’s on big wages,” Sheth said.
“Can Borussia Dortmund afford to pay the full wages of Jadon Sancho? Or will they hope that United can help them out and pay a portion of those wages as well?
“This could be a move that could work for everyone, though. Erik ten Hag obviously has fallen out with the player, so he will have a player that he’s fallen out with no longer in the squad for the rest of the season.
Jadon Sancho could be headed back to Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
EURO GIANTS IMPOSE DEADLINE AS CRUNCH MBAPPE CALL NEARS
With the January window now open, French superstar Kylian Mbappe is free to negotiate with rival clubs over a move in the summer.
Mbappe’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer and will become the hottest commodity in football if he sees his contract through.
The World Cup winner has constantly been linked with Real Madrid in recent years and came agonisingly close to joining Los Blancos in the summer of 2022, only to turn around and sign a fresh deal with PSG to stay.
But his future once again came into focus last summer once it emerged he would not extend his deal and was sent to train among PSG’s unwanted players while the rest of the club went overseas to continue pre-season preparations.
Saudi club Al-Hilal bravely tested the waters with a $485 million bid for Mbappe, but the French international turned it down.
Real Madrid are set to make yet another approach for Mbappe but, according to The Athletic, they have imposed a mid-January deadline for the 25-year-old to make up his mind.
The clock is ticking on Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
ATTACKING DUO IN MISFIRING RED DEVILS’ CROSSHAIRS
Although Manchester United may not have much financial wriggle room to work with in January due to FFP, it won’t exactly stop them from operating in the market.
The Athletic claims the Red Devils could bring in one or two players on loan and it’s looking likely they will be attacking signings.
Manchester United have managed just 22 goals this season — one fewer than 18th-placed Luton Town — as Rasmus Hojlund continues to struggle to acclimatise to the Premier League.
The report claims United have a trio of stars in the Bundesliga in the crosshairs including Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as well as RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
Werner has already had a taste of life in the Premier League with Chelsea, although he struggled heavily to make his mark.
Muller recently signed a contract extension with Bayern but has previously been linked with United, while Choupo-Moting has largely been consigned to the bench as Harry Kane’s backup.
Time will tell as to whether United advance talks with any of the trio, but they don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
Well, we’ve reached the end of 2023 and what a year it’s been in football.
The Matildas made it all the way to the semi finals of a home World Cup, Ange Postecoglou took the Premier League by storm and Lionel Messi swerved Saudi Arabia to take up a lucrative deal with Inter Miami.
That’s just a snippet of what’s transpired, but what can we look forward to in 2024?
So glad you asked, because there’s a fair bit that we think is going to happen.
In our 23 predictions for 2023, we (rather miraculously) correctly predicted eight events to happen, which isn’t a terrible strike rate.
So, Foxsports.com.au has once again pulled out the crystal ball and gazed into the future for what is about to transpire in 2024.
When Thanos snapped his fingers in Avengers: Endgame and said, “I am inevitable”, he wasn’t talking about himself.
No, he was in fact talking about Manchester City.
Although Pep Guardiola’s side are in fourth and five points off league leaders Liverpool albeit with a game in hand, they have an uncanny ability to step up the pace just as their rivals take their foot off the pedal.
So don’t act shocked when it’s City who raise the Premier League trophy at the end of the season for a fourth consecutive season.
2. Luton Town survive
If only for Kenilworth Road to remain in the rotation of Premier League stadiums.
But also because Luton are a beacon of hope in an increasingly commercialised sport.
Come on you Hatters!
3. England win EURO 2024
This will be Gareth Southgate’s fourth major tournament as England boss and we believe it will be his most successful.
If not for a masterful performance from Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the penalty shootout at EURO 2020, England would have won it.
But Southgate finally ends the trophy drought and England has a true summer to remember.
Gareth Southgate’s going to end England’s wait for an international trophy. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
4. San Marino wins its first international match since 2004
Every year that passes without a San Marino win means we are predicting La Serenissima to end the wait.
In fact, 2024 could be San Marino’s best chance to win a game for the first time in 20 years as they face the irresistible force that is St Kitts and Nevis across two friendlies early next year.
Book in that sick leave for the 20th and 24th of March to watch San Marino win a game, it’ll be worth it.
5. The Matildas make it to the final of the Olympics
The Matildas made the semi final stage of the Tokyo Olympics and then the semi finals at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
But the Paris Olympics are going to be the tournament where it all finally comes together as the current group enjoy one last dance to take home some silverware before the youngsters take over.
6. Harry Kane wins the Champions League with Bayern Munich
Although Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga hopes aren’t exactly signed, sealed and delivered just yet, Harry Kane should look towards the Champions League.
No team has really put their hand up as serious contenders in Europe’s premier club competition and Bayern could be primed to take full advantage.
Surely the football gods will finally smile down on Kane and help him finally secure a respectable club trophy.
7. Ange Postecoglou guides Tottenham back to Europe
We didn’t say if it was the Champions League, the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
All we know is that Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham will be back competing on the continent next season.
Ange Postecoglou is going to bring European nights back to Tottenham, but in which competition? (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
8. The Socceroos make it to the final of the Asian Cup
After impressive performances against Mexico, England and New Zealand, the Socceroos are primed for a deep run at the Asian Cup.
Whether they win it all for the second time remains a mystery, but we’re anticipating Graham Arnold’s side will at the very least be one of the final two teams left standing.
9. Italy get knocked out in the group stage of EURO 2024
What would a major international tournament be without one of the big guns being bundled out at the first hurdle?
Unfortunately for Italy, it’s going to happen again.
The defending European champs are in Group B alongside Spain and Croatia, who we think will take up the top two spots.
Albania rounds out the group and although third spot has a chance to make the knockouts based on their overall ranking, Italy simply won’t have enough in the bank as they crash out with two defeats and a draw.
10. Alex Robertson makes his Premier League debut
What a year 2023 was for Alex Robertson.
He made his Socceroos debut against Ecuador in front of his friends and family in Sydney and is now proving himself a vital player for Portsmouth in their bid for promotion to the Championship.
After helping Pompey return to the second tier of English football for the first time since the 2011/12 season, Robertson will return to his parent club Manchester City.
And at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, expect to see the talented midfielder stroll on to the field in the famous sky blue of City.
11. The record for most expensive transfer is broken … by Chelsea
As it stands, Neymar’s £198 million switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain is the most expensive transfer in history.
But wait … here comes Chelsea owner Todd Boehly with a briefcase full of cash and he’s about to hand it over to Napoli!
And who’s that about to hold up a Chelsea shirt at Stamford Bridge … is that … Victor Osimhen?!
The prospect of a £200 million deal for the Nigerian superstar feels almost too real.
Todd Boehly’s going to break the bank for Chelsea once again. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
12. Jude Bellingham wins the Ballon d’Or
We knew Jude Bellingham was something special before his move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.
But the 20-year-old has not been fazed by the bright lights of the Santiago Bernabeu one bit and, if anything, has thrived under them.
It’s why the English midfielder will prove himself to be the best player in the world when awards season rolls around next year after he single-handedly drags the Three Lions to EURO 2024 glory.
13. Massimo Luongo becomes a Premier League player as Ipswich Town get promoted
Massimo Luongo was once on the books of a Premier League club at Tottenham Hotspur but now, he’s going to become a Premier League player.
Luongo is enjoying a starring role at Ipswich Town and the Tractor Boys are looking extremely likely to achieve the rare feat of two consecutive promotions.
It would be a remarkable feat for Kieran McKenna’s side but it’s nothing less than they deserve having taken the Championship by storm this season.
14. Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League
Unai Emery is cooking something special at Aston Villa this season.
Unbeaten at home and in third place, Villa look poised to take advantage of a number of rivals (cough – Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle – cough) stumbling over their own two feet.
All they need is to finish fourth and at this stage, it’s a very realistic prospect.
15. Kylian Mbappe stays in France
Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid are like the two friends who refuse to date despite being the perfect match for each other and everyone in their group knows it.
Unfortunately for those romantics, they won’t get the relationship they want to see as Mbappe gains Stockholm syndrome and decides life at PSG isn’t so bad after all.
A time will come when the French superstar will form a happy union with Real Madrid, but that won’t happen just yet.
Kylian Mbappe won’t be moving to Spain just yet. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
16. Nestory Irankunda makes his debut for Bayern Munich … in a friendly
Every pre-season, Bayern Munich decide to absolutely decimate a local German team in a friendly.
You know, the ones when you see a score of something like 18-0 on social media and think ‘holy cow, how good do Bayern look’, only to search the team they played are entirely comprised of part-timers?
Well, this is where Irankunda makes his mark and gets in on the act when he runs his opposition number — Klaus, a 27-year-old local milkman — ragged before unleashing an unstoppable strike past the helpless goalkeeper to put the result beyond doubt.
Cue the iconic Irankunda backflip.
17. Girona qualify for the Champions League
Much like Aston Villa in the Premier League, Girona have surprisingly found themselves in the top spots of La Liga.
In fact, Girona are behind league leaders Real Madrid only on goal difference and are seven points ahead of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, who are third and fourth respectively.
However, dreams of playing in the Champions League aren’t exactly a forgone conclusion given Girona are part of the City Football Group, the owners of Manchester City.
UEFA rules prevent two clubs owned by the same entity playing in European competitions so this could become a sticky situation but for now, let the good times roll for Girona.
18. Cristian Volpato pledges his international allegiance to the Socceroos
It’s the big fish Arnie wants and his relentless persistence finally pays off.
With the Socceroos essentially guaranteed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup thanks to an expanded 48-team competition, Volpato won’t need to worry about the Aussies missing out altogether.
19. Xabi Alonso gets poached by a European heavyweight
Xabi Alonso is already making waves as Bayer Leverkusen manager and has the team sitting top of the Bundesliga.
No doubt all of Europe’s big boys are keeping a keen eye on what the Spaniard is doing in Germany and if the time comes, don’t be surprised to see Alonso move on to pastures new.
It’s just a question of who’s willing to take the plunge.
Xabi Alonso is quickly emerging as one of the top managers in football. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
20. Kusini Yengi emerges as the Socceroos’ starting striker
Ever since Tim Cahill’s retirement, the Socceroos haven’t quite had a figure to turn to when they desperately need a goal.
Mitch Duke is the man largely entrusted with leading the line for the Socceroos, but it’s his remarkable fitness levels and pressing ability that makes him stand out more than his goal threat.
Throw in the fact that Duke is 32 and the need for a fresh presence up top grows even larger.
That’s where Yengi, a 24-year-old at Portsmouth comes in.
Yengi has had to improve his physicality playing in the rough-and-tumble League One but has shown a solid turn of pace and can also hold the ball up well.
It’s why Yengi will be the answer to the Socceroos’ goalscoring woes for years to come.
21. Pep Guardiola announces he will leave Manchester City at the end of the 2024/25 season
Nothing in life can last forever and unfortunately for Manchester City fans, the same goes for Pep Guardiola’s time at the club.
The Spaniard has overseen a remarkable amount of success and has won every trophy there is to win at club level for City.
Who knows what the future will hold for Guardiola, or City for that matter.
22. Wrexham make it to the League Two play-off final … but lose a penalty shootout
There’s nothing quite like a play-off match at Wembley and for Wrexham, they’ll have the chance to achieve back-to-back promotions.
A play-off win would be yet another perfect Hollywood script for Wrexham but football is a cruel, cruel game.
It’ll at least make for must-watch viewing in the next season of Welcome to Wrexham though.
23. A Saudi Arabian club launch an ambitious offer for Erling Haaland
If you don’t buy a ticket to the show, you’ll never know.
Yes, the bid will be knocked back by Manchester City as quickly as it arrived in their inbox.
But you can’t fault a Saudi club for trying.
24. A team wears a full body paint kit in a wild publicity stunt
Any publicity is good publicity, right?
We’re not sure which team will be bold enough/sell out to pull off such a stunt, but it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
A European heavyweight views Harry Kane as the final jewel in the crown to win the Champions League, while a certain owner’s now-infamous dressing room visits could spell danger for its players.
Catch up on the biggest whispers doing the rounds in the latest edition of the Rumour Mill!
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It’s about to be yet another season without a trophy for Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane.
Despite scoring goals for fun yet again, Kane was unable to fire his beloved club deep into any domestic or European cup competitions and could miss Champions League football next season should Spurs continue spiralling out of control.
It appears Kane’s chances of winning silverware with Spurs grow slimmer with each passing year and, with the club facing an imminent rebuild, that wait could grow even longer.
So, should the England star want to win something, anything before his career is done, it seems the next logical step is to move away from London.
Enter Paris Saint-Germain.
According to French outlet Le Parisien, the Ligue 1 giants are ‘dreaming’ about signing Kane to add to an already-loaded front line featuring Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Kane could also line up alongside global superstar Lionel Messi should the World Cup winner sign an extension with the club.
The report claims PSG view Kane as the player who will help bring a Champions League title to the French capital and the priority signing in the summer window.
Finances evidently won’t be much of a deterrence for PSG, but will Kane be willing to take on the challenge?
Could Harry Kane leave Spurs in the summer? (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
GROWING DISCONTENT AMONG BLUES STARS AS MASS EXODUS LOOMS
Things are going from bad to worse at Chelsea.
After being dumped out of the Champions League thanks to a 4-0 aggregate loss to Real Madrid and just about unable to make the top four this season, the Blues face the prospect of no European football next season.
That’s not even factoring in the two managerial changes made at significant cost this season, with Thomas Tuchel replaced by Graham Potter, only for the latter to be sent packing as Frank Lampard was brought in on an interim basis.
It now appears discontent is growing among the players.
According to the Daily Mail, several of the Blues’ stars are questioning where the club is headed under the ownership of Todd Boehly.
There is reportedly growing discontent among Chelsea players in regards to Todd Boehly’s ownership of the club. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Although the American has invested heavily in the squad, there seems to be little strategy behind the spending and with such a large squad there have been several stars left out in the cold.
Even star defender Thiago Silva called out the scattergun approach in the transfer market after losing to Madrid.
“We have to stop and have a strategy to not repeat the same mistakes next year,” Silva said.
He also revealed the club had to increase the size of its dressing room “because there was not enough room for all the players.”
Boehly’s dressing room visits have also become a major talking point in the football media in recent days, although no Chelsea players have publicly been against it.
Who knows what will happen between now and the summer window opening, but it’s certain there will be a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge.
Thiago Silva has called on the club to sort out a proper transfer strategy. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
MAJOR TWIST IN CHELSEA MANAGER SEARCH AS LEADING CANDIDATE SLIPS DOWN SHORTLIST
Chelsea’s managerial search has taken a twist, as one leading candidate is no longer at the top of the shortlist.
Luis Enrique had been heavily linked with the vacancy at Stamford Bridge and several reports had placed him close to taking over.
The former Barcelona and Spain boss flew to London for talks with Chelsea’s top brass in the wake of Graham Potter’s axing.
However, The Teleraph reports the Spaniard has since slipped down the shortlist as no further talks have been scheduled.
It points towards Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino being the favourites for the Chelsea role, leaving London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in and potentially secure Enrique’s services.
