Premier League

Christian Pulisic may be back with Chelsea following the FIFA World Cup, but there is buzz that a change in scenery could be on the horizon come the January transfer window.

According to a report from ESPN, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal "have all been made aware of Pulisic's likely availability when the transfer window opens, and sources told ESPN the player's representatives are keen to find him a new club four years after he signed for Chelsea in a £58 million ($70.4 million) transfer from Borussia Dortmund."

This week, Pulisic appeared on Steve Schlanger and Tim Ream's Indirect podcast and didn't exactly put to rest any looming doubts about his future at Stamford Bridge.

"Right now I'm absolutely back at Chelsea, focused and ready to finish the season," he said. "But you know how things work in football...things change quickly and anything can happen. At the moment, I am just pushing myself in training and working at Chelsea, because that's where I am right now."

Pulisic has thrived for the USMNT, scoring a goal and adding two assists in four games at the most recent World Cup. He is undoubtedly the face of men's soccer in the United States and one of the country's most talented and important players.

At Chelsea, however, his role and impact have waxed and waned. That comes down partially to a Chelsea roster loaded with talent in the attacking positions. Pulisic is left fighting for playing time alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, among others.

At Arsenal, cracking the starting 11 may not be much easier. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are entrenched as the starters on the wing, though Martinelli may see some time as a central striker while Gabriel Jesus is sidelined. Arsenal do lack depth on the wing, however, so Pulisic would be the next man up.

United equally are crowded at the attacking positions, with players like Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Antony and Anthony Elanga all jockeying for time.

So, Newcastle might offer the best avenue for a consistent role, though the soaring Magpies aren't devoid of talent themselves.

Whatever January holds for Pulisic, it wouldn't be shocking to see him depart Chelsea. A change in scenery feels like the right move.

Actor Michael B. Jordan is now a part-owner of English Premier League club Bournemouth.

Per Giacomo Pisa of The Sun, Jordan is part of a minority investment group that purchased a stake in the club.

The Premier League ratified the sale of Bournemouth to a group led by Bill Foley.

According to Pisa, Foley will serve as club chairman and will be in attendance for its next home game against Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve.

Maxim Demin, who became a co-owner of the Cherries in 2011 and had been majority owner since 2013, reached a verbal agreement with Foley to sell the club for $150 million in October.

Foley is also majority owner of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights through his Black Knight Sports and Entertainment consortium.

A press release stated that Jordan and Nullah Sarker will work closely with Foley in areas that include "global marketing and internationalization of the club."

This marks Jordan's first foray into ownership of a sports team. His acting resume includes several sports movies and television shows, including the Creed franchise and the television adaptation of Friday Night Lights.

Jordan will make his directorial debut with Creed III, which is set to release March 3.

Bournemouth is in 14th place in the EPL standings with 16 points through 15 matches. Its next match is against Newcastle in the EFL Cup round of 16 on Dec. 20.

Manchester United are open to a loan move for Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic during the January transfer window, according to Mark Ogden of ESPN.

The club could look to strengthen its attack after parting ways with Cristiano Ronaldo last week.

Newcastle United and Arsenal have also reportedly been made aware of Pulisic's availability when the window opens. Per Ogden, the United States international is hoping to find a new club after seeing limited playing time with Chelsea this season.

Pulisic has appeared in 13 of Chelsea's 14 Premier League matches this season, but he's made only three starts and ranks 16th on the team in minutes. He has one goal and one assist in league play this year, adding one assist in four Champions League appearances.

The 24-year-old had been seeking a move away from the club during the summer window, but Chelsea were "reluctant to sanction a move" for the forward after losing several other attacking options, per James Olley of ESPN.

There would still be a fight for playing time at Manchester United alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony, but Pulisic could get a fresh start with a new location after an up-and-down career with Chelsea.

Newcastle United also have quality wing options in Allan Saint-Maximin and the red-hot Miguel Almirón, although Pulisic could rotate in for a squad that is surprisingly in third place in the Premier League table.

First-place Arsenal could also use more help offensively as it tries to compete for a championship.

Despite Pulisic's slow start to the year, he's proved himself in the past with six league goals in 22 appearances (13 starts) last season. He scored nine EPL goals with four assists in 2019-20 before helping Chelsea win the Champions League title in 2021.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ready to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rob Dawson of ESPN reported Ten Hag informed the United board he does not want Ronaldo to play another game for the club after the disgruntled striker's comments in an interview with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo told Morgan he does not respect Ten Hag and has had issues with other executives at the club.

"Manchester United tried to force me out," Ronaldo said on Piers Morgan Uncensored. "Not only the manager, but the other two or three guys who are around the club [at the senior executive level]. I felt betrayed. I don't care, people should listen to the truth. Yes, I felt betrayed. I feel that some people didn't want me here, not only this year but last season, too."

The Premier League does not resume for more than a month to allow for the World Cup to take place in Qatar, which gives United ample time to figure the situation out. The club plays only two league games between now and the start of the January transfer window.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in August 2021 after nine years away from the club where he emerged as a global superstar, but his second tenure has been disappointing. Despite Ronaldo scoring 24 goals in his first season back in Manchester, the team went from finishing second place in the Premier League table prior to his arrival to seventh.

In the summer, Ronaldo publicly requested to leave so that he could play for a team in the UEFA Champions League after United failed to qualify, making his assertion that the club has tried to force him out somewhat puzzling.

A move didn't come to fruition, and Ronaldo returned to the team, but Ten Hag reprimanded Ronaldo for leaving a July friendly against Rayo Vallecano without permission, and the situation reached a head last month when the striker refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.

Ronaldo's interview with Morgan became public shortly after United pulled off a 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday—a game Ronaldo missed with a purported illness. The timing stoked not only the ire of Ten Hag but also players on the team, which could further complicate Ronaldo's potential return.

Cristiano Ronaldo continued to levy a number of accusations against Manchester United, as a new clip of his incendiary interview with Piers Morgan was released on Monday.

In it, the veteran forward accused senior officials of not believing him over the summer when he told them his daughter Bella was dealing with medical issues.

I spoke with the director and president of Manchester United. And [they] kind of didn't believe that something was going wrong which was making me feel bad," he said. "They believed, but in the same way, I'm never going to change the health of my family for football. Never. Now, or 10 years behind or forward.

It's something that really hurt me because they doubted my word that I struggled, especially Bella and Geo [Ronaldo's wife, Georgina Rodriguez] we had one week in hospital because Bella had a big problem. I didn't go to preseason because of that, because I wasn't allowed to leave my family in case something happened to do preseason. I don't think that's fair, to leave my family for preseason, and that's why I didn't go.

According to Luke Brown of The Athletic, Manchester United officials have privately pushed back against Ronaldo's claims, countering that his "time off was sanctioned and [United Manager Erik Ten Hag] only referenced 'personal reasons' during the tour so [as] not to divulge details, while senior officials absolutely believed the reason Ronaldo gave for his absence."

Ronaldo also alleged in his interview with Morgan that United's owners, the Glazer family, don't have the club's best interests at heart:

In clips from the interview that were released on Sunday, Ronaldo said he felt "betrayed" by Ten Hag and several other people at the club and added that he didn't have any respect for the manager because he felt he wasn't shown any respect.

"Some people, I feel, don't want me here," he said. "Not just this year, but last year too."

He also took aim at former United interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who spent part of last year leading the club.

"If you're not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United?" he said to Morgan. "I'd never even heard of him."

It's possible that Ronaldo is going scorched earth in an effort to make himself so toxic that United choose to rip up his contract and allow him to become a free agent. The 37-year-old pushed for a transfer over the summer, ostensibly hoping to land with a Champions League side, but wasn't moved and stayed at Old Trafford.

That has led to a drama-filled season, which included Ronaldo refusing to be subbed on during 2-0 win over Tottenham in late October, leaving the bench before the match concluded and the stadium altogether before his teammates returned to the locker room after the contest.

He was dropped from the team for the next match against Chelsea, but led the line in the club's win over FC Sheriff in the Europa League later that week. Ten Hag then went on to name Ronaldo as the captain for an early November matchup against Aston Villa.

But after the revelations and accusations Ronaldo has made against people across all levels of the club in the interview with Morgan, it's hard to imagine him suiting up for the club again. Whether United will seek a transfer, sever his contract altogether or keep him on the roster but off the team sheet remains to be seen. However, for the time being, the two sides will have a break from each other while Ronaldo is in Qatar with Portugal for the World Cup.

Manchester United are reportedly "furious" after Cristiano Ronaldo's interview with Piers Morgan where he criticized the club and manager Erik ten Hag, per Rob Dawson of ESPN.

Ronaldo said on Piers Morgan Uncensored that he believes he was being forced out of the club by Ten Hag and others at the executive level:

According to Dawson, Ronaldo and his representatives were actively seeking an exit from the team during the summer transfer window but were unable to find a new home.

Manchester United leaders are also upset at the timing of the latest interview, which was released after the club's 2-1 win over Fulham in the final match before the World Cup. Ronaldo didn't feature in the match and has made just four starts in the English Premier League this season, tallying only one goal in 10 total appearances.

In October, the 37-year-old was suspended for one match after leaving the pitch early as an unused substitute.

It's been a significant change from last season, when Ronaldo scored 18 goals with three assists in 30 league appearances (27 starts).

After the turmoil of this campaign, the forward said he does not respect his own manager.

"I don't have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me," Ronaldo said in the interview, via Dawson. "If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you."

The full Piers Morgan interview will be shown Wednesday.

In addition to the disrespect to the manager, Ronaldo also claimed the club has not made upgrades since Sir Alex Ferguson retired:

The superstar played for Ferguson at Manchester United from 2003-09, winning three league titles with one Championship League trophy.

The club took offense to this statement as well, with Dawson reporting the recent changes.

"Sources told ESPN that the pool, canteen and recovery areas have all been revamped, while more than £200,000 was spent to build a state-of-the-art analysis and meeting room at the specific request of Ten Hag," Dawson wrote.

Ronaldo will now represent Portugal at the World Cup, but it's clear his time with Manchester United will not last too much longer.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins in seven days, and while Cristiano Ronaldo has his sights set on winning Portugal its first-ever World Cup title, he took the time to reflect on his season with Manchester United.

In a candid interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo said he feels "betrayed" by the way Manchester United has treated him in his return this season and feels the club is trying to force him out:

Ronaldo opted to return to Manchester United during the 2021-22 season after departing the club for Real Madrid in 2009. He spent nine seasons with Los Blancos before joining Juventus in 2018.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner played one game for Juventus in 2021-22 before signing a two-year deal with the Red Devils in August 2021 with the option for a third year.

However, Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford hasn't gone as he expected. While he scored 24 goals across all competitions last season, Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16.

In addition, the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League this season and are instead participating in the UEFA Europa League. They are currently fifth in the Premier League table with an 8-2-4 record.

Ronaldo's desire to compete in the Champions League led to reports in July that he requested a transfer from Manchester United in order to "continue to play Champions League football" in 2022-23.

However, Ronaldo also told Morgan that he is unhappy with the lack improvements the club has made since he left in 2009.

"The progress was zero," Ronaldo said. "Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed."

Since July, things have unraveled further for Ronaldo, who has been relegated to the bench, making just four Premier League starts for the Red Devils this season. He has just one goal in 10 Premier League appearances, and tensions between himself and manager Erik Ten Hag continue to worsen.

The hostility between Ronaldo and Ten Hag appeared to hit its peak last month when the Portuguese international refused to come off the bench as a late substitute in a match against Tottenham and instead went back to the locker room.

That led to Ten Hag suspending Ronaldo for the club's next match against Chelsea, and he also did not train with the senior team during that suspension.

In his bombshell interview with Morgan, Ronaldo said he doesn't have respect for Ten Hag because the manager has no respect for him.

"If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you," Ronaldo told Morgan.

With the World Cup set to begin, Manchester United will not be back in action until Dec. 7 in a friendly against Cádiz CF.

It's hard to envision how Ronaldo can move forward with the club following his interview with Morgan. If he has played his final game with the Red Devils, it will be interesting to see whom he suits up for next.

Fenway Sports Group, the investment consortium that includes NBA star LeBron James, is considering selling Premier League team Liverpool.

"There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumors of changes in ownership at EPL clubs, and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group's ownership in Liverpool," FSG told David Ornstein of The Athletic.

"FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.

"FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch."

The group, which also owns MLB's Boston Red Sox and the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, purchased Liverpool in 2010. A sale has been explored in the past, but no deal came to fruition.

Led by majority investors John Henry and Tom Werner, Fenway Sports Group's ownership tenure of Liverpool began with an extended whimper but has been strong of late. After finishing inside the Premier League top four just once from 2010-11 to 2015-16, the club has been no worse than fourth each of the past six seasons.

Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 and followed it up with a Premier League title in 2019-20. The club was the runner-up in UCL earlier this year.

It's been a struggle for the club to live up to expectations this season, as they're currently sitting a disappointing eighth in the table.

Fenway Sports Group also owns Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, which would almost certainly be part of any sale agreement.

Forbes currently values Liverpool at $4.45 billion.

Arsenal defender Pablo Marí, currently on loan at Serie A club Monza, was one of at least five people stabbed at a shopping market in the Assago area of Milan, according to Adam Crafton of The Athletic.

He is not believed to have suffered serious injuries.

"I just found out," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters on Thursday after his club's 2-0 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League. "I know [Arsenal technical director] Edu has been in touch with his relatives. He's in hospital but he seems to be OK."

According to Sky Sports, one man in his 30s died from stab wounds suffered in the attack. Per that report, a total of at least six people were attacked, but one did not require hospitalization.

A 46-year-old male suspect has been detained by police.

"We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari," Arsenal said in a club statement. "We have been in contact with Pablo's agent who has told us he's in hospital and is not seriously hurt. Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident."

"Dear Pablo, we are all here close to you and your family, we love you, keep fighting as you know how to do, you are a warrior and you will get well soon," Monza CEO Adriano Galliani added in a tweet (h/t BBC News).

Mari, 29, joined Arsenal in Jan. 2020 on loan with an option to make the deal permanent that summer. Arsenal exercised that option and he's remained with the club since, though he was sent out on loan to Udinese in Jan. 2022 and Monza this season.

He's made 14 Premier League appearances for Arsenal in his career.