Sports
Toni Kroos Reacts as John Obi Mikel Allegedly Calls Him ‘Average’
Iconic former footballer Toni Kroos has offered up a blunt response after hearing that John Obi Mikel had supposedly called him ‘average’. Both former midfielders are now retired and don’t appear to have any obvious reason for falling out.
Kroos is best known for his time at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, three Bundesliga titles, four La Ligas, and six Champions Leagues. He also got his hands on the 2014 World Cup with Germany, cementing his status as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era.
Mikel didn’t quite reach the same heights during his career, but had some fine moments. His time at Chelsea saw him lift two Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, two League Cups and both the Champions League and Europa League. He also won AFCON with Nigeria in 2013.
Mikel Denied Calling Kroos ‘an Average Midfielder’
Now working as a pundit, Mikel is said to have called Kroos’ career mediocre. Despite Kroos responding to the comments, the former Premier League ace has reportedly denied ever making the claim.
Mikel was reported to have said: “Toni Kroos is an average midfielder. I was a better player than him, to be honest. The only difference was that I didn’t play for Real Madrid, and I think we need to change this mentality of thinking anyway, player who plays for Real Madrid is better than others.
“When you see that players like Kroos, Nacho, Carvajal and Modric won 5 UCLs, it is a bit unfair, because these players are not even close to being the best in their positions. This shows that trophies can be misleading. I can name 10 players in the same positions that are better than these footballers.”
According to Nigerian outlet Pulse Sports, Mikel later claimed that the quotes were ‘fake news’, as he denied ever saying them.
Eden Hazard’s Response to Toni Kroos Saying he ‘Let His Career Die’ at Real Madrid
Hazard has responded after Toni Kroos appeared to call him out about his Real Madrid career.
Despite Mikel trying to play down any conflict, Kroos saw the comments and clearly thought they were real. He took to social media to issue his own simple but brutal take-down on his Instagram account, as he posed the question:
“So why didn’t you play for Real Madrid?”
With Mikel reportedly denying the comments, it will be interesting to see if he speaks out on the matter again, now that Kroos has posted about them. At the time of writing, the German has had his response up on his Instagram stories for more than three hours, so clearly hasn’t felt the need to take down his post.
Sports
Ian Wright Claims Argentina Winning Goal vs Egypt Should Have Been Disallowed
Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright has explained why Argentina’s winning goal against Egypt should not have counted.
Argentina completed a remarkable comeback in their last 16 fixture to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.
The reigning world champions found themselves on the verge of a shock elimination at the Atlanta Stadium after Mostafa Ziko put Egypt 2-0 up in the 67th minute.
However, two goals in four minutes from Cristian Romero and captain Lionel Messi, who leads the race for the Golden Boot award with eight goals this tournament, turned the game on its head.
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez then sent the Argentina fans into raptures with the winning goal in stoppage-time.
Egypt Fume After Controversial Argentina Victory
Egypt’s players and coaching staff were furious, convinced they were the victims of a miscarriage of justice following a series of controversial decisions in the second half.
The Pharaohs had a 58th-minute goal disallowed following a foul on Lisandro Martinez at the opposite end of the pitch. They were also convinced they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Mohamed Salah moments before Fernandez netted the winner.
An emotional Ziko claimed the tournament was “rigged” in favour of Argentina after the match, while Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan was quoted saying:
“They want Argentina and Messi to stay in the World Cup for marketing.”
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Ian Wright Casts Strong Verdict
Meanwhile, ITV Sport pundit Ian Wright offered his verdict on the late drama, arguing Argentina’s third and final goal should have been disallowed.
The 62-year-old believes referee Francois Letexier’s decision to disallow Egypt’s goal earlier in the second half set a precedent that meant Salah should have been awarded a penalty before Fernandez scored.
“That’s what happening with VAR now, they’re pulling it back,” Wright said.
“If you’re going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah.”
Wright added: “He’s been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he’s been caught and then they go up the other end.” Watch the clip below:
Wright’s former England teammate and Match of the Day colleague Alan Shearer appeared to be in agreement on X (Twitter). The Newcastle United legend tweeted:
“Either both are fouls or neither is a foul. But they’re not going to re-referee they told us.”
Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday night (Sunday, 2am BST). The winners will play either England or Norway in the semi-finals on July 15, back at the Atlanta Stadium.
Sports
Update Emerges on Man Utd Move to Sign Bournemouth’s Alex Scott
Manchester United have been linked with a move to sign Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott in the summer transfer window, and Samuel Luckhurst has now provided an update on their pursuit.
The Red Devils are being linked with a host of different midfielders this summer, with Scott believed to be on their list.
Reports have suggested that United have held talks over a move to sign the English midfielder, but Bournemouth are hoping to extend his contract.
Scott has become one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League since his move to the Cherries, and he’s attracting interest from a number of clubs.
United’s priority is to bring in at least one midfielder this summer, and Scott is a name on a lengthy shortlist.
Man Utd: Alex Scott update
Journalist Luckhurst has now provided an update on Manchester United’s move to sign Bournemouth midfielder Scott in the summer transfer window.
The reliable reporter claims that United haven’t ruled out making a bid to sign the English star, despite the Cherries valuing him at £80m.
Scott is now United’s preferred midfield target after missing out on both Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.
Despite the £80 million valuation, United are yet to formally end their interest, and they remain in the race to secure his signature.
Luckhurst confirms that Bournemouth are looking to tie him down to a new contract, and it’s almost certain that that would include a release clause.
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Man Utd can’t miss out on another target
Understandably, United didn’t want to pay the kind of fees that Tottenham and Manchester City forked out for Fernandes and Anderson.
The Red Devils are looking to be clever with their recruitment in the summer transfer window, understandably.
They are hoping to avoid overpaying for players, but they can’t afford to continue missing out on key targets. They need to bite the bullet at some point.
Whether Scott is the player they push the button on in the summer window remains to be seen, but there is no doubt they need midfield reinforcements to arrive through the door over the coming weeks.
Sports
Liverpool Eyeing Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga Amid Mourinho Exit Plans
Liverpool are showing an interest in signing a Real Madrid star who Jose Mourinho is willing to offload this summer.
The Reds have confirmed just one new addition in the summer transfer window so far, bringing in Victor Munoz to improve their winger options.
Liverpool will likely be in the market for further additions, considering they only just scraped Champions League football last season.
The board will have to back new manager Andoni Iraola if they want him to be able to fully implement his style of play next campaign.
The Merseyside club have been linked to a host of new additions this summer, but it’s unclear what their priority position to strengthen is going to be.
Liverpool are likely to sign another winger with Mohamed Salah departing, but they could also need reinforcements in other areas.
Liverpool eyeing Real Madrid star
According to a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool are one of the sides showing an interest in signing Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Mourinho is willing to sanction a departure for the French international as he is not a key part of their plans.
As it stands, Camavinga is uninterested in leaving Real Madrid this summer, but it’ll be interesting to see if that changes if he’s limited to a bench role with the Spanish giants.
Camavinga, who has been described as one of the best in the world, is too good to be sitting on the bench, even if it is for a club the size of Real Madrid.
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Camavinga walks into Liverpool’s midfield
There is no doubt that if Liverpool can secure the signature of Camavinga in the summer transfer window, he would walk into their midfield.
The French midfielder is one of the best in the world, and after some of the displays by Liverpool’s current midfielders last season, he will undoubtedly become a guaranteed starter.
Convincing Camavinga to leave Real Madrid seems to be the biggest issue, as the La Liga club are willing to offload him.
The Reds will be able to offer Champions League football to Camavinga, but we are yet to see whether Iraola can get a tune out of this Liverpool squad.
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