The Football Observatory has updated their list of the most valuable players in the world and it has a very English flavor to it, with seven of the top 10 players either being English or they play in the Premier League.
That is a huge turnaround from even three years ago, when the list was dominated by La Liga stars.
The three most valuable players are all forwards: Kylian Mbappé (€252M), Mohammed Salah (€219M) and Raheem Sterling (€208M).
Bayern Munich’s first pre-season game in the USA is just a week away as the Bundesliga side will start their tour against Arsenal in Los Angels on July 17 before facing Real Madrid in Houston three days later. In their stateside trip, Munich will take on Milan in Kansas City on July 23.
The European giants will meet at NRG Stadium in Houston as they gear up for another lengthy season in multiple competitions. Robert Lewandowski, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Thomas Muller are the marquee names pending they remain with their clubs.
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has hit back at Manuel Neuer after his agent questioned the club’s ambition when compared to the Premier League’s top teams.
The German giants are undergoing a rebuild this summer as experienced stars Mats Hummels, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have all left the club.
Bayern have already splashed the cash on Lucas Hernandez (£68million) and Benjamin Pavard (£32m) but it has not stopped Neuer from raising doubts over his future.
Matthaus believes Neuer and his agent were wrong to publicly aim a dig at Bayern Munich as the captain could have spoken to the club’s top brass privately.
Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool only had themselves to blame after their Champions League hopes were left hanging in the balance.
Bayern Munich played with the composure of a team who have reached the Champions League semi-finals eight times in the last decade and they summoned an excellent defensive performance to secure a 0-0 draw.
But Klopp believes the result would have been different had his side’s passing been sharper, particularly during the first half when Sadio Mane missed the game’s best chance and fired wide with only Manuel Neuer to beat.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is ready to play Fabinho in central defence alongside Joel Matip if Dejan Lovren fails to recover from a hamstring injury.
Virgil van Dijk is suspended for the last-16 first-leg while Joe Gomez is sidelined with his recovery from a fractured leg.
Klopp said that Lovren is touch-and-go to make Tuesday’s match at Anfield.
‘Dejan, I actually have to wait minute by minute if there is a chance or not,’ Klopp said.
‘Fabinho? In the Champions League, against Bayern Munich, it is not an easy job but it makes sense, it depends all about how we defend in general.
Chelsea have completed the £58million signing of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund and installed their contingency plan in case Eden Hazard leaves in the summer and the Premier League side get hit with a transfer ban from FIFA.
USA international Pulisic will spend the rest of the season at Dortmund before making the switch by which time Hazard have only 12 months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were determined to strike early for Pulisic to beat competition from rivals, including Liverpool and Arsenal, and have paid a premium on the price.
Another interesting week in the Champions League where Juventus and Dortmund showed that they are a class above the rest and where European royalty like Real Madrid and Manchester United showed they are a long way from being contenders.
Here is a recap of this weeks’s Champions League matchday 3 games:
Group A
Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Dortmund earned a third win, and third clean sheet, to open a three-point lead over Atlético. Alex Witsel’s deflected drive late in the first half broke the deadlock, Raphaël Guerreiro added a 73rd-minute second after a fine move, then substitute Jadon Sancho got the third, all those goals made by Achraf Hakimi. Guerreiro also claimed the fourth, and victory in Madrid in a fortnight would take Dortmund through as group winners.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is still pushing for a move to this summer, despite the club appearing to put their foot down on the matter.
Lewandowski’s dream move is to Real Madrid and the Champions League winners have cash to burn after selling Ronaldo in a deal worth £100m and you would think that they would be jumping at the chance to sign a player who scored 41 goals in 48 matches last season.
But new Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui seems content to work with the young Spanish talent at his disposal while Bayern’s new boss Niko Kovac insists that the player is not for sale.
The desire to succeed at Real Madrid is something that is still very important to James Rodriguez, but he isn’t planning to leave Bayern Munich this summer.
James believes it would not be right to leave Bayern after just one season, especially after all the love the club and their fans showed him during the previous campaign.
In addition, Bayern feel that they were the ones who put trust in the talent of James over the past year, and that it is not right for Real Madrid to want him back after they let him leave through the back door.
Borussia Dortmund will travel to the United States twice in the summer, once at the end of the season and once for their pre-season summer tour.
The Bundesliga club will play expansion club Los Angeles FC and will “most probably play two matches” in the International Champions Cup.
Dortmund are home to USA star Christian Pulisic, and the German side are taking full advantage of the best American player playing today.
Pulisic and Dortmund will play Los Angeles FC at the Banc of California Stadium on May 21 or 22, which with it’s steep standing terraces has partially been inspired by Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.