Sport

Manchester City receive Bayern Munich transfer blow

City's pursuit of talented Bundesliga full back David Alaba has hit a bump.

The Manc The Manc - 28th July 2020
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Manchester City have received a blow in their reported pursuit of Bayern Munich’s talented full back David Alaba.

Pep Guardiola’s side finished a long way behind Liverpool in the Premier League this season and are looking to close the gap when play finally resumes in 2020/21. One player they are reported to have targeted is Alaba, a 28-year-old who can play at left back and in the centre of defence.

Alaba is no stranger to Pep, having played under the 49-year-old at Bayern between 2013 and 2016. The Austrian international has been at Bayern for almost all his senior career, racking up close to 400 games and winning nine Bundesliga titles, plus a Champions League.

Photo by Tim Bechervaise on Unsplash

Guardiola’s pursuit of his former player has taken a blow though, as former Manchester City man Leroy Sane urged his new teammate to remain with Bayern and target Champions league success, as reported by The Independent.

“I really hope David stays,” the 24-year-old said after recently completing his own £54m move to Bayern.

“I would like to play with him. He is a good guy, a great footballer, and we like each other privately. David has proven that he is not only one of the world’s best left-backs, but also exceptional in the centre.”

Real Madrid have also been linked with Alaba, but the Premier League has been a happy hunting ground for Bundesliga players in recent years and could make an attractive prospect for a player looking for a new challenge. Bwin’s post on which Bundesliga players could move this summer, details that Sane is one of three Bundesliga players signed by Manchester City and given a Champions League debut recent years, with Edin Dzeko and Ilkay Gungodan being the other two. In addition to that Kevin De Bruyne left Wolfsburg for the Etihad in 2015 and has won two Premier League titles, as well as five domestic trophies.

Photo by Saurav Rastogi on Unsplash

However, the chances of adding Alaba to that contingent may now have been significantly decreased as Guardiola looks to rebuild his squad. The 2019/20 season was something of a disaster for City, who failed to challenge Liverpool and retain the Premier League title. They did manage to get their Champions League ban overturned and are still hunting success on that front, carrying a 2-1 lead into their home fixture with Real Madrid in August.

The lure of Champions League football next season should ensure Pep remains in Manchester and it will allow them to expand their hunt for players as well. The 29-year-old Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is another possible target, but with city rivals Manchester United also interested, there could be a battle for his services.

There’s little doubt Pep needs to strengthen at the back, with City leaking goals at crucial stages this season. The 2-0 defeat against Arsenal in the FA Cup typifies their porous back four, but defeats against Manchester United twice (2-1, 2-0), Tottenham (2-0) and Wolves (3-2), as well as draws with Crystal Palace (2-2) and Newcastle (2-2), truly dented their hopes of a third successive title.

With Manchester United in the ascendency and Liverpool looking for back-to-back wins, the club are facing the most important period in their recent Premier League history, with a rebuild necessary to remain in touch with their rivals.

Sport

The latest on Salford Red Devils financial situation as ‘winding-up’ petition is adjourned

Danny Jones Danny Jones Salford Red Devils finances problems explained

The current situation at Salford Red Devils is far from ideal, with the rugby league team currently owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt, not to mention facing further stress over finances with players owed wages, key personnel leaving and remaining uncertainty over future ownership.

So, why is the board expressing reassurance among supporters following the recent adjournment of a ‘winding-up’ petition, and what exactly does this mean?

It is no doubt a complex issue, but with the season concluding in October and the Greater Manchester club essentially being given a stay of execution, for lack of a better phrase, it’s possible that a corner could hopefully be turned soon.

Here’s everything we know so far about the situation in Salford and where the Red Devils’ finances are currently at.

Salford Red Devils’ finances and more – explained

For a start, they’re late on payroll again this month.

How much do Salford Red Devils owe and why?

According to recent reports, Salford Red Devils owe more than half a million pounds to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at present, with current estimates said to be in the region of £600,000.

The Super League side has fallen into debt due to a number of factors: their own performance as a business, cuts to local funding and a period of spending in terms of recruitment and pre-season preparation under the assumption of a subsidy from Salford City Council (SCC).

However, this would-be uplift – despite it being promised late last year – never came as the Council (having already provided £315k in ‘immediate’ financial aid back in March 2024) U-turned on the decision after it was revealed further backing was not in the budget.

SCC ended up owing around £2 million itself after stepping in to save both SRD and fellow rugby league outfit Swinton Lions, handing out loans to both clubs even prior to purchasing Salford Community Stadium and the surrounding area.

The Council ultimately shelled out north of £7.7m to buy the ground and sever commercial ties with previous owners, Peel. They had hoped to further alleviate pressure on the club, but Salford Red Devils (SRD) had already spent the money they were expecting to receive on new players, training and more.

SRD were then told to sell off a number of players by the league.

Salford Red Devils issue statement after being ordered to sell players by Rugby Football League
Former CEO Paul King was also parachuted back in to try and save the club after his predecessor left almost as quickly as he came.

What is the ‘winding-up’ petition?

With all this in mind, something called a ‘winding-up’ petition – basically a document sent by creditors that demands the immediate liquidation of a company/organisation that owes them money – was filed by HMRC back in May, with the tax authorities demanding payment of the outstanding sum.

However, special dispensation appears to have been made not only due to the complicated and unforeseen circumstances Salford have faced along the way, but also for the sake of the Rugby Football League (RFL) itself, with the Red Devils still seen as a valuable sporting and community asset.

One of those unexpected twists was the takeover by a new consortium led by Dario Berta, whose investment failed to clear in time and resulted in the club being hit with the financial sustainability problem that saw them cutbacks.

In a small bit of good fortune, it has now been decided that the petition to liquidate the SRD has been postponed, though not indefinitely.

What could happen next?

The date for coughing up what debt they owe to the tax authorities has now been pushed back to September, meaning they have until then to find the finances, or else they could very well be made insolvent in a matter of months.

However, as per BBC Radio Manchester, those involved in the ongoing process are “confident” that bridging loans will be put in place over the coming days to keep HMRC at bay.

And, nevertheless, head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that he can see “green shoots” starting to emerge around the club, despite still sitting bottom of the table with just one win to their name.

What’s for sure is that the local area isn’t giving up on them, with numerous fundraisers and charity events being set up to help support the club via the official Salford Red Devils Foundation.

Fingers firmly crossed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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Featured Images — Antony Parkes (via Geograph)/Salford Red Devils (via website)

Sport

Wigan Athletic sign third forward of the summer window so far

Danny Jones Danny Jones new Wigan Athletic signing Dara Costelloe

Greater Manchester side Wigan Athletic have announced yet another summer signing with the arrival of 22-year-old Dara Costelloe.

Not only is he the fourth acquisition of the transfer window so far, but the now ex-Burnley prospect is the third new forward picked up by Wigan ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Irish striker, who started out in the youth academy at Galway United before breaking into the senior team and being bought by the Clarets, has spent the last couple of years on loan, representing five different clubs since 2023.

Having most recently been at Northampton Town, scoring six times in 15 games, he finished the previous campaign with a total of a dozen goal involvements from 36 appearances – a direct contribution in nearly every other game. Now he’ll be tasked with finding similar success with another League One outfit.

Commenting on the move, the youngster said in an official club statement: “I’m delighted to get the move over the line. It’s been a great day for me and my family – I brought my Dad over with me, and having seen the stadium, we definitely made the right choice. 

“It is a great Club, and I cannot wait to get started. I’ve spoken to the Gaffer [Ryan Lowe] for quite a bit, and the plan that was outlined is to get this Club back to the Championship. That’s my ambition as well, so we’ll try to achieve that. 

“I’ve seen the strikers the Gaffer has worked with, and how he’s helped progress their careers. Hopefully, he can do the same with me.”

As a retired forward himself, the strikers Costelloe is referring to include Southampton’s Cameron Archer, fellow Irishman and ex-Spurs graduate Troy Parrott, as well as former Man City, Ipswich and now Chelsea marksman, Liam Delap, who was on the radar of several teams this summer.

Speaking of Lowe, the Latics head coach confessed, “Dara is a forward who I have admired for some time, and I’m delighted he’s decided to come to us. [He] has all the attributes we are seeking in a new signing – and is hungry, ambitious, and wanting to improve. 

“He is a real threat in the final third, and already has experience at this level following his successful spell at Northampton last season. 

“Dara adds to the attacking options we have at [Wigan], and we’re looking forward to working with him and helping him to develop his game further. It enables us to have some really healthy competition in the striking department, which will spur each of the lads on throughout the season. 

Not only is it usually reassuring to hear when a manager secures a talent they’ve been keen on for a while (the assumption being that they’ve done their due diligence and the player has been well scouted), but it says a lot about the 46-year-old’s ambition for this season by picking up three new attackers.

Snatching his permanent signature from a division rival is a nice bonus, too.

Wigan didn’t score enough goals in 24/25, simple as – finishing in 15th on minus two goal difference after registering just 40; that being said, the signing of Dara Costelloe, Christian Saydee, and most notably, prolific English forward, Paul Mullin, should help bolster those numbers to kick off this new era.

There’s certainly plenty of excitement surrounding the Wrexham hero on loan for the season.

Wigan Athletic make statement signing after grabbing Wrexham’s Paul Mullin on loan
New doesn’t necessarily translate to better – what do you make offensive signing number three for Wigan?

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Featured Images — Wigan Athletic FC (via website)

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