Man United renew interest in Juventus defender De Ligt

Manchester United are prepared to make a renewed bid to sign Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer if the Italian club are ready to listen to offers for the Netherlands international.

De Ligt rejected interest from United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain last summer before completing a €75 million move from Ajax to Juventus as per iSports API, after he captained the Dutch champions during their run to the Champions League semifinals last season.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

But, after signing a five-year deal at Juventus, the 20-year-old has been in and out of the team under coach Maurizio Sarri. According to football data provider iSports API, the defender has started 17 of the club's 26 games in Serie A prior to the shutdown due to the coronavirus crisis in Italy earlier this month.

It's said that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to recruit a centre-back this summer, and the club have already drawn up a list of potential targets, including Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

De Ligt, who earns a £210,000-a-week at Juventus as per iSports football API, is regarded as having the perfect profile for Solskjkaer's United in terms of his age, versatility and character.

There is an acceptance, however, that Juventus are unlikely to sanction the sale of De Ligt after just one year in Turin unless the player seeks a move after a frustrating campaign at the club.

But, should the Italian outfit be prepared to sell the defender, United are ready to make a second attempt to sign the player.

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Manchester United's Rashford stepping up recovery from back injury

Marcus Rashford is stepping up his comeback from injury after being given the green light by Manchester United's medical team, as per iSports football API.

The England striker has undergone further scans on his back injury and after positive results has been allowed to increase his workload.

Rashford is training away from United's Carrington training base during the coronavirus crisis but is being monitored closely by the club's medical department.

The 22-year-old, who has scored 19 goals this season, according to football livescore data provider iSports API, has not featured since January after tests revealed a double stress fracture in his back but has responded well to his initial treatment.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

"I feel much better," Rashford told the journalist.

"Definitely, comparing it to two or three weeks ago, I feel 10 times better.

"For me now, it is just about getting ready to build it back up to training and playing the games with the team. I am in a much better place. I am much happier now than I was about a month ago, so things are looking positive."

Rashford has been using a stationary bike at his Bowden home to stay fit during the shutdown, as well as his personal gym.

"Everyone's just dealing with the circumstances as well as they can," he said.

"I have just been in my house, doing my recovery work, reading books, watching Netflix and just whatever you can do to make the time pass."

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Real Madrid and Ajax chase the "new Kaka"

Real Madrid and Ajax are locking horns in a battle for Sāo Paulo attacking midfielder Igor Gomes, according to AS.

Gomes, a Brazilian U23 international, has been likened to former Galactico Kaka.

The 21-year-old reportedly has a €50m release clause, according to football data provider iSports API, which has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, with Real and Ajax believed to be leading the race currently.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）



Gomes broke through the youth ranks at Sāo Paolo and has made 31 appearances for the club, scoring three goals and laying on two assists, as per iSports ffootball live data API.

There have been no official moves from any club at the moment but it will be interesting whether he decides to opt to follow the same route as Vinicius, Rodrygo and Reinier Jesus in moving to the Bernabéu.

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Flamengo is the most valuable team in South America

Brazilians and Argentines make up the entirety of the 25 most valuable clubs in South America, according to the football data provider iSports API website.

In the top-10, representing Brazil are: Flamengo, Palmeiras, Grêmio, São Paulo, Corinthians, and Internacional, while River Plate, Boca Juniors, Vélez Sarsfield and Racing Club make up the rest of the lot.

To almost nobody’s surprise, Flamengo top the list with their players being worth a combined €151.2m (R$820m), as per iSports football API.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

Rubro-Negro’s economic success comes partially from good financial management, which began in 2013 under the tutelage of former president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello.

Back in 2013, Bandeira de Mello employed a policy of financial austerity which has proven fruitful in the last year, with Flamengo reaching the Club World Cup final after winning the Carioca, Brasileirão, and Copa Libertadores titles.

Flamengo also heavily invested in their youth academy, which resulted in Lucas Paquetá, Vinícius Júnior, and Reinier being sold for a combined €113.4m (R$624.8m) in the last 18 months, accoriding to iSports API football live data.

2018 Copa Libertadores champions and 2019 runner-up River Plate is second on the list. Though the club is sponsored by Turkish Airlines, which gives them $5m (R$25m) annually over a three-year period, their financial statements showed they are not currently making a profit.

The first club that is not Brazilian or Argentine on the list is Junior Barranquilla (Colombia), who appears 26th.

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Manuel Neuer not satisfied with Bayern's current contract offer

Manuel Neuer has been with Bayern Munich since 2011, as per football data provider iSports API, but his future with the Bavarians is up in the air with his contract expiring in 2021 and outstanding young goalkeeper Alexander Nübel arriving from Schalke this summer.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

Neuer, who turns 34 in the recent day, wants to remain at Bayern for the foreseeable future but there’s a chance that the World Cup-winner could be out of a job as current contract talks have stalled.

According to Bild, Neuer is seeking a new deal and is currently disappointed with Bayern’s current offer, with the club captain seeking a longer contract that what the club have put on the table.

With Nübel arriving to give Neuer real competition next season, the chances that Neuer could leave the club once his contract expires are very realistic.

Neuer has bounced back from recent injuries to play every single minute for the club in all competitions this season, earning 15 clean sheets and allowing just 38 goals in 37 games, according to iSports football live data.

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Bayern Munich negotiating with Kingsley Coman over new deal

Bayern Munich are looking to keep hold of their current attacking options and also add some lethal quality in the final third this summer.

Though Kingsley Coman has been quite inconsistent this season, it is reported Bayern have begun negotiating with the 23-year-old over a new deal.

The France international’s current contract runs until 2023, as per football data provider iSports API. Bayern are believed to want to give Coman an additional two years and will reportedly offer the winger a wage increase as well.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

The move will come as a head-scratcher for some, as Bayern have been long in pursuit of Manchester City winger Leroy Sané, who would almost undoubtedly start on the left side.

So far this season, 13 of Coman’s 24 appearances have been on the left, as per iSports football live data API. Sané’s arrival would likely mean that Coman would deputise for Sané on the left and compete with Serge Gnabry on the right.

Coman has struggled with injuries in recent years, including this season, but has still managed to contribute and help his respective sides win the league title in every single year as a professional.

In addition to his incredible eight league titles, Coman already has a staggering 16 trophies to his name. In the current campaign, Coman has five goals and five assists in 24 matches in all competitions, as per iSports API.

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Lance Stephenson among Americans returning to Chinese basketball

With the Chinese Basketball Association preparing to end a nearly three-month hiatus, the league is welcoming back some of its foreign players, with perhaps the biggest splash of all coming from Jeremy Lin.

"Safely landed back in Beijing to finish out the CBA season!" Lin said on social media Thursday after spending 40 hours traveling from his Bay Area home to China.

"It's been an awesome 2 months camped out in the gym ... basketball has never been more meaningful," he added. "The world needs basketball now more than ever."

Before he can reunite with his team, Lin -- like all foreign players returning to China -- will spend two weeks in quarantine.

"I am fully ready to work out in my room in the next 14 days, after which I will get back to the court with my teammates and finish this season with our best performance," he said.

Lin, the former NBA guard who enjoys great fanfare throughout China, is averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the Beijing Ducks, who are 19-11 and positioned to make a playoff push, according to professional basketball API provider iSports API.

（iSports API covers a wide ranges of sports games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds and players' statistics）

The CBA, which suspended play in late January, is expected to restart in mid-April. Once the league restarts, competition is expected to resume in limited capacity, as per iSports basketball API, including all 20 teams in one or two cities, a truncated regular-season and playoff schedule, and no fans.

Since the coronavirus outbreak hit China in January, sports have become a source of inspiration and power for the country's people. The recent victory of MMA fighter Zhang Weili at UFC 248 is a prime example of how sports can send an uplifting message to the nation's 1.4 billion people.

Lin, who has been sending well wishes to the Chinese people since the early stage of the outbreak, saw a generous welcome from Chinese fans, who have appreciated his voice and support as an American. On Chinese social media Weibo, where he has more than six million followers, Lin posted a photo of him autographing a Chinese medical worker's uniform at the airport. Soon after, it became one of the most popular posts on Chinese social platforms.

Joining him in this category is Stephon Marbury, the former NBA star who won three titles for Beijing and is now living there. Marbury, the coach of Lin's rival team, Beikong, has been advocating for the public to follow medical guidelines, practice care and learn from China's lessons in fighting the virus.

Teams have been urging their foreign players to return so they can practice with full rosters. However, due to various complications, many are still waiting. As of now, among those who have returned to China are Lin, Ty Lawson, Donatas Motiejunas, Sonny Weems, Kyle Fogg, Pooh Jeter, Marko Todorovic, Antonio Blakeney and Ekpe Udoh. More are expected to return in coming days.

Hamed Haddadi -- a former NBA center and a veteran of the CBA -- is held up in his home country of Iran, where the pandemic has also hit hard. His team, Nanjing, is working with the Chinese embassy in Iran to aid in his return.

Lance Stephenson, who is in his first CBA stint with Liaoning, has indicated he will return.

"Ready," he posted on Weibo with a video highlight of himself from earlier in the season.

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