Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and former manager Ruben Amorim had a ‘shouting match’ at Carrington towards the end of last season, according to Samuel Luckhurst.
Mainoo wasn’t a popular figure under Amorim during his time at the club, struggling to break into the starting XI, with speculation firmly surrounding his future at Old Trafford. With Amorim now relieved of his duties, it will be interesting to see what is next for Mainoo.
Ruben Amorim and a Shouting Match With Mainoo
According to a report from journalist Luckhurst, Mainoo and Amorim had a ‘shouting match’ with each other at Carrington towards the end of last season. Mainoo’s family are believed to not be fond of the former United boss, and that was made clear last month, when his brother sported a t-shirt saying ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’.
Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now confident that they can sign Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi this summer.
Tottenham have already agreed six new signings this summer, with the latest additions of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali setting the club back a huge £185m outlay.
Spurs’ ambition is showing no signs of slowing down yet, and while their defensive and midfield options are looking stronger ahead of next season, we could see new faces arrive to boost the attack too.
The north Londoners remain in talks with Manchester City over a deal for left-winger Savinho, following their failed attempt to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 12 months ago.
However, Tottenham are also considering other options for that flank too, with links to a second raid on West Ham United for Crysencio Summerville, while they have been offered the chance to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan by Jorge Mendes during the Fernandes transfer talks.
Spurs are also considering signing a new striker with doubts over the future of Richarlison, who has long been linked with a move away from the north London outfit.
Tottenham are seemingly ready to make their move to try and bring Junior Kroupi to the capital from the south coast.
Tottenham Believe They Can Sign Junior Kroupi
AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi celebratesvia Reuters
Tottenham are one of many top Premier League clubs linked with a move for Junior Kroupi this summer, following an outstanding and record-breaking debut campaign in the English top flight for the Frenchman.
The 20-year-old scored 13 goals in 33 Premier League games for the Cherries as they qualified for the Europa League, and the club are determined to keep hold of him for next season for their first ever European campaign.
However, according to a top Tottenham source on X, Spurs officials are confident that they can complete a deal for the youngster this summer.
The same source claims that Spurs have already scheduled talks with the Frenchman’s representatives soon, although Bournemouth would want at least £90m to sell him in this window.
Kroupi Junior is also said to be open to a move to Spurs, following previous talks between the parties in March.
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Tottenham Also Want ‘One of the Best Players in the World’
The England international has been described as ‘one of the best players in the world’ on his day by Three Lions teammate Anthony Gordon, and it is hard to disagree when we see what he has done over the years for the Red Devils and then on loan at Barcelona last season.
The 30-year-old is said to prefer a permanent move abroad following his spell with Barca, although it appears as though Spurs are positioning themselves right at the front of the queue should he end up remaining in England.
There was significant controversy as Portugal just about beat Croatia to make it into the next round of the 2026 World Cup. The two sides appeared to be destined for extra time before VAR intervened to rule out Josko Gvardiol’s late strike, sparking a strong reaction in the media.
Ivan Perisic opened the scoring before Cristiano Ronaldo levelled things from the penalty spot with 22 minutes remaining. Goncalo Ramos then gave Portugal the lead in stoppage time, but there was still time for Croatia to put the ball in the back of the net once more.
This time, however, the goal was chalked off. VAR deemed that Igor Matanovic had the slightest of touches on the cross that found Mario Pasalic, who was standing in an offside position before he touched the ball for Gvardiol to score.
An official FIFA explanation revealed that, thanks to ‘data provided by Connected Ball Technology’, it was proven that ‘contact was made’ by Croatia’s Matanovic in the build-up to the goal. Despite this, footage from the game looked inconclusive, leaving many baffled by the ruling.
Pundit offered up a theory that FIFA were intent on having Ronaldo and Portugal meet Spain in the next round:
“It was a fantastic match ruined in the end by VAR. I see nothing irregular about the 2-2 goal; VAR disallowed it, but for me, it was a robbery. Either the sensor in the ball wasn’t working or something went wrong, because Renato Veiga touched the ball, which means there was no offside. Look at the angle: Croatia’s number 20 doesn’t touch the ball, nor does he change its trajectory in the slightest. It’s Portugal’s number 13 [Veiga] who touches it! How can it be offside?
“An opponent touches it, and suddenly the Croatian goalscorer is offside? Absurd! The Croatians, who had fought with all their heart, were denied a dream moment at this World Cup. To disallow a goal in the 90th minute, the decision must be crystal clear. Here, it wasn’t at all. This wasn’t refereeing. It was an outright theft. For me, it’s clear they [FIFA] wanted Portugal and Ronaldo to reach the Round of 16 to face Spain.”
Ivana Knoll Reacts to Croatia Defeat and Ibrahimovic Theory
But now having attended the match, on her Instagram stories she first called out the referee, who ‘did such a sh** job,’ before then sharing a link to the Gazzetta story from Ibrahimovic, agreeing with his comments as she wrote: ‘exactly’
Screenshot of Zlatan Ibrahimovic via @Knolldoll/Instagram
She then spoke to the camera in another post, saying ‘it was a complete robbery’ and finally appeared to take aim at Ronaldo and co, saying ‘Karma will hit you’.
A second World Cup game is now set to change its kick-off time amid the decision to bring England’s Round of 16 tie vs Mexico forward by six hours. Severe weather warnings have thrown the next knockout round into chaos in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with the Three Lions’ treacherous trip to the Azteca Stadium the biggest match affected up until now.
Already well aware they face an uphill battle to keep their World Cup dreams alive, with altitude and a hostile atmosphere coming into effect, Thomas Tuchel’s side are now set to play at midday local time, which brings about the issues of 33 degree heat. El Tri, meanwhile, will be licking their lips at extending their imperious home record that has seen them lose just twice across their previous 89 matches.
However, another match has now also been affected by thunderstorms, while it is not certain if it is the last. FIFA are yet to issue a statement on the chaos, with one being expected imminently.
FIFA Set To Change Kick-Off Time Of Second World Cup Tie
Amber Searls/ Imagn Images via Reuters
Norway vs Brazil, currently scheduled for Sunday 9PM BST at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, is also reportedly being changed. That’s according to Brazilian journalist Raisa Simplicio, who has alleged that the new kick-off will be one hour later – but while storms have been the issue in Mexico, New York’s issue also lies in the heat.
New York City is expected to reach temperatures of 35 degrees on Sunday, with scattered thunderstorms also proving a logistical nightmare after France’s 3-0 win over Iraq during the group stages being delayed for two hours in Philadelphia.
