June 2024 - Soccer Wiretap

Liverpool have rejected an approach from Real Madrid on a transfer for Trent Alexander-Arnold during the January window. Alexander-Arnold is a long-term target of Real Madrid and is on an expiring contract. Madrid would prefer to sign him on a free transfer in the summer, though right-back Dani Carvajal is out for the season.

Conversations over a contract renewal at Liverpool have been taking place with Alexander-Arnold's camp for several months, and the player has not yet indicated a desire to leave the club.

Liverpool is first in the Premier League with Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk all on expiring contracts.

Wayne Rooney and Plymouth Argyle have mutually agreed for him to exit as manager of the club after 25 matches. The second-tier club was his fourth role in management.

"Plymouth Argyle can confirm that the club and Head Coach Wayne Rooney have mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect," Plymouth said in a statement on Tuesday.

The news follows disappointing spells for Rooney at Derby County, D.C. United and Birmingham City, who were relegated to League One following Rooney's disastrous 15-game run.

Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester City have yet to pick up talks on an extension. De Bruyne is on an expiring contract and has been linked with a move to either Saudi Arabia or San Diego FC of the MLS.

"No. Nothing yet," said De Bruyne of extension talks.

"I hope to get better now," he said. "We have got an easier schedule. I hope that some training sessions in the next few weeks will get me into a better rhythm.

"It's hard to say [when I will be fully fit]. With the injury I had, I took a while and then I had four games in 10 days which was hard."

AC Milan has fired Paulo Fonseca as manager and appointed Sergio Conceicao as his replacement. Milan is eighth in Serie A following their 1-1 draw against Roma. Milan are eight points back of the top four and trail joint-leaders Atalanta and Napoli by 14.

Fonseca had only landed the job to begin with after fans rebelled against the club’s first candidate, Julen Lopetegui.

Mohamed Salah created two more goals as Liverpool extended their Premier League lead with a 5-0 win at West Ham. But Salah's future with Liverpool remains unclear and is "far away" from an extension.

Salah, 32, can open negotiations with non-English clubs from this Wednesday (Jan 1) about a free agent transfer at the end of the season.

Salah said his focus is on winning the title with Liverpool and that he is no closer to agreeing a new deal.

"No we are far away from that [contract] and I don't want to put anything in the media," Salah told Sky Sports. "The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that.

"I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.

"I am just trying to enjoy the game. At the end of the day I came here for the result and I wanted to do something in the game, but I am almost hungry for more."

Manchester City picked up a much needed Premier League victory in beating Leicester City 2-0. The victory is City's first in six matches and only their second in 14 in all competitions. 

“I think it is more relief than happiness, I think that’s the right word,” the manager said. “As a performance it was not the best, I couldn’t expect it, really. Leicester were better in the last 10-15 minutes of the first half, in the last 15-20 of the ­second. The game was tight. We have to improve a lot. We will improve as the results improve, that’s for sure. The best of us will come back.

“Against Everton [the 1-1 draw on Boxing Day] the performance was far better than today but today we won and that’s what we need to clean our minds and souls and see we can win games.

“I never thought it was difficult to win one single game but now we feel it. Maybe it’s good. That period helps to see what we have done, it made me reflect on how difficult it is to do what we have done.”

Pep Guardiola hopes Manchester City can improve their roster on the January transfer market. 

“Even the players [think]: ‘Oh, we have to add some players,’ but the truth is, this season we have a lot [of problems]. And this is a problem.

“[But] I think it’s not to bring a player for that [the short term]. You have to bring a player for the next three, four, or five years. And this is sometimes not easy to do. But, of course, I think we have to try it because [the situation] has been sustained for a long time.

“Eight important players are [out]. And [Ilkay] Gündogan was not ready today [to start]. And Kevin [De Bruyne] was not ready for 90 minutes. And maybe should have come on earlier. But yes, we have this situation. It’s been a long time. And of course, you have to talk with the club and the club will decide. We have to try because this is sustained for a long time.”

Dani Olmo could be unavailable to play for Barcelona for the remainder of the season after a court rejected the club's lawsuit to extend his registration beyond Dec. 31. Barcelona's LaLiga-imposed annual spending cap is fixed at €426 million for the season.

Barcelona was granted a temporary registration with LaLiga after signing Olmo for $59.5 million from RB Leipzig.

Barcelona had presented a similar case to register midfielder Gavi with the first team in 2023.

Sporting has fired Joao Pereira as manager just eight matches after he replaced Ruben Amorim. Amorim was hired as manager of Manchester United earlier this season.

Sporting appointed Rui Borges as manager. 

“The time for me is right,” Borges said at his unveiling. “It’s always right. I’m very positive, I believe things happen when they have to. It’s an opportunity we’ve all worked for.

“I’m the leader of the Portuguese champions and I couldn’t be happier. I look at the squad and it’s the best – it’s not even time to talk about signings.”

Erling Haaland missed a penalty kick as Manchester City drew 1-1 against Everton. City have won just once in their last 13 matches across all competitions and sit sixth in the table with just 28 points. City could drop to eighth by the end of the day.

Haaland has scored just four times in City's last 14 Premier League matches.