Transfer Rumors

Sergio Ramos is set to sign a new contract with Real Madrid, according to reports featured by ESPN, after negotiations take place on Thursday.  

Ramos has been the subject of repeated rumors linking him with a move to Manchester United. In fact, the cavalcade of gossip this month has been so much that anyone not initiated with tittle-tattle of a transfer window might actually believe that a transfer to the Red Devils is closer to happening than not.

While the brain trust at The18 has long argued that Manchester United have more pressing personnel matters to deal with at the other end of the pitch, Louis van Gaal has been insistent since United’s pre-season tour of America that what he needs most is “speed and creativity” up front.

West Ham have put in a bid for Manchester United striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, according to The Daily Star. The Star reported that the club have already had an 8.5 million pound bid rejected, and the new bid will be somewhere in the range of 12 million pounds.

For the past seven seasons, Stoke City have showed why they deserved to be part of the Premier League.

Mario Gotze has turned into one of the most disappointing players on Bayern Munich’s roster for fans. He has struggled to consistently perform and his attitude on the pitch has suffered accordingly. It’s shocking, really, to see the man that scored the game winning goal of the 2014 World Cup Final fall to such a level.  

It’s a great time to be VfL Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne, shocking misses aside. He has just won the German Supercup for the second year running, beating Bayern Munich both times, no less. He is arguably the most sought after attacking midfielder in the world, and his play each and every week seems to only increase interest in him. He is the top dog in a very good team, and it seems that he is also aware and responsible for his actions, or at least that is what his latest words imply. 

It was all sunshine and rainbows for PSG on the field Saturday. The reigning French champions defeated Lyon 2-0 behind goals from Serge Aurier and Edinson Cavani. Aurier in particular was a revelation at left-back.

Off the field, though, was a diferent matter for the club, who look like they might lose star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

"It could be that this was my last game for PSG," Zlatan said after the game. 

The temptation to believe that Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid is at an all time high. As the team continues its preseason exhibition tour in China, the French international has posted a photo to Instagram of himself in a plane separate from the rest of the team, with the caption “let’s leave the past in the past.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says what he feels all of the time, and a lot of the time that involves letting someone know that he is better than them. 

When asked who he thought was the best looking woman in the world, he responded, “I don’t know, but when I find her I will date her.”

He’s arrogant, there is no getting around that, but hearing his ignorance it is hard to not think of a famous Muhammad Ali quote: it’s not bragging if you can back it up.