MLS owner wants Ronaldo over Messi
The transfer window might be closed, but the rumours keep ticking. As always, Transfer Talk has the latest and greatest. See all the summer deals right here.
TOP STORY: MLS owner likes Ronaldo over Messi
Given his druthers, Orlando City SC owner Augusto Da Silva says he’d rather bring Cristiano Ronaldo into his team than Lionel Messi. The thought of either one coming to Major League Soccer before their respective 40th birthdays seems like an extreme long shot.
That said, the first-year MLS club did land Kaka for their maiden season, and that’s worked out well for both the Brazilian and Orlando. Kaka is helping his new team battle for a playoff spot in MLS while also getting a call-up from Dunga for his national team’s pair of friendlies in the U.S. in September.
However, Da Silva has his eye on a bigger fish in Ronaldo, who just surpassed the career 500-goal mark in Real Madrid’s 2-0 Champions League win versus Malmo. The Portuguese also tied the record for club goals at los Blancos, level with Raul at 323.
GOAL, RONALDO! He doubles Real Madrid’s lead and matches Raul’s club record of 323 goals! pic.twitter.com/VBXA6qm5BK
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 30, 2015
The Orlando owner wasn’t done there, though; he went on to proclaim Ronaldo a “more physically complete” player than Lionel Messi and said the Argentine doesn’t have the same marketing clout as his counterpart in Portugal.
“Hopefully, we can sign him for this upcoming season,” Da Silva said. “We’ve always heard that he’d like to come to the United States to play.”
Good luck with that.
Klopp move a bad idea
After it was revealed on Wednesday that Jurgen Klopp had turned down an approach from the Mexico Football Federation, ESPN FC TV’s Alejandro Moreno says the former Borussia Dortmund boss wouldn’t have been a good fit for El Tri anyway:
The pursuit of Demarai Gray
A host of Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on Birmingham City winger Demarai Gray, according to the Express and Star.
West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis is trying to convince the 19-year-old to make the short move across the West Midlands with the lure of first-team football in the top-flight but faces stiff competition from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Gray, whose fine form this season has led Birmingham to fifth in the Championship table, signed a new, three-year deal with the club in July, so it’s believed a bid in excess of £5 million will be needed to pry the youngster away from St Andrew’s.
Kane influenced Njie move
Though he’s only played 51 minutes since making a £8.3 million move from Lyon to Tottenham, Clinton Njie makes no bones about his reasons for coming to Spurs. The Cameroon international gave up a Champions League chance with Lyon and the opportunity to play with Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal in large part because of Harry Kane.
Njie said he watched Kane closely in the 2014-15 campaign as he scored 31 goals for Tottenham, and when the opportunity came to make the move to Mauricio Pochettino’s club, he was all-in, according to the Express.
“The coach brings through young players,” Njie said. “You can see that through Harry Kane last season and some of the other lads. That was my reason to come to England to get a bit of progress and continue my career.”
Njie is reportedly set to make his first start in Thursday’s Europa League match versus Monaco, with Son Heung-Min left in London nursing a foot injury.
Tap-ins
– Lawrence Vigouroux will continue his loan spell with League One club Swindon Town, after initially being sent back when the goalkeeper tried to pay a £50 club fine in pennies. The 21-year-old Chilean joined the League One side from Liverpool in August.
– Out-of-favour veteran Joe Cole has held talks with Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood about a loan move away from Villa Park.
“If someone wants to take one of these players who are not going to play on a regular basis, then I would have to decide whether it would be right for the club to let them go,” Sherwood confirmed, according to the Telegraph.
– The Chronicle says Newport County’s 18-year-old striker Aaron Collins is being tracked by a host of Premier League sides.
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