It’s been a long time since Marcelo Bielsa worked his magic at Leeds United and supporters will no doubt hark back to those wonderful days every now and again.

Daniel Farke, to his credit, is beginning to build a great squad at Elland Road and, if they can continue their current good form, it could see a return of the glory days for the all whites.

Certainly, the memories of the Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce eras can best be forgotten.

One player that is a vestige of the Bielsa era is Junior Firpo.

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Signed from Barcelona, the player has never really lived up to his billing and, as a result, a return to another of his former clubs, Real Betis, could be on the cards.

Estadio Deportivo note that conversations are underway for the potential purchase of Marc Roca by Betis, and during these discussions the topic of Firpo has come up.

The player, apparently, has never hidden his desire to play for the Verdiblancos again according to the report, and that’s as good a start point as any to get things moving on any switch.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, it provides the perfect opportunity to construct a deal that makes sense for all parties, thus freeing up some more funds for Farke to strengthen in other areas.

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It is uncertain if Mohamed Salah continues with Liverpool beyond the current campaign but if the Egyptian star leaves Anfield, Jurgen Klopp already has one replacement in mind.

The Liverpool winger is Saudi Arabia’s top target for the summer of 2024 after making initial enquiries during the last summer transfer window.

The 31-year-old’s contract at Anfield expires in 2025, therefore, in order to get the best deal from the Saudis, next summer would be the ideal time to sell Salah if he does not sign a new deal.

According to Todofichajes, Jurgen Klopp has Real Betis’ Assane Diao as a potential replacement for his main man next summer.

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The report states that Klopp has taken notice of Diao’s rapid rise at Real Betis as the winger has become a regular starter at the club at just 18 years old.

The Betis star has played 11 times in all competions this season, scoring four goals along the way.

Diao has a release clause in his current contract worth €30m, which runs until 2027. The winger is likely to stay at the La Liga club for some time given his age, but if Liverpool do come calling next summer, the Spanish outfit will have to accept their bid.

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The 2022 January transfer window saw Ferran Torres depart Man City for Barcelona and the winger has revealed what former manager Pep Guardiola said to him before leaving the Premier League champions.

The Spanish star moved to Catalunya as part of a €55m deal having spent just two seasons with the Manchester club, in which he won the Premier League and EFL Cup.

When Barcelona came calling, Torres wanted the move and the 23-year-old has revealed what Guardiola said to him when he asked to leave City.

Speaking to The Wild Project, the Barcelona star said via Fabrizio Romano: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can’t say no to you. It’s my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça.”

?? What did Pep tell to you when you told him you wanted to sign for Barça?

Ferrán Torres: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can't say no to you. It's my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça”, via The Wild Project. pic.twitter.com/10eoeF7WOO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 23, 2023

More Stories / Latest News

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Nov 24 2023, 11:06

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Torres’ time at Barcelona has not been as straightforward as he would have liked as the winger is yet to become a regular starter at the Catalan club.

The 23-year-old scored 19 goals and assisted a further 11 across the 87 matches he has played with Barca and being just 23 years of age, the winger still has plenty of room to develop his skills further over the coming years.

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How Man United fare in the upcoming January transfer window is likely to set the tone for the second half of what’s been a disappointing 2023/24 campaign so far.

Erik ten Hag’s side have flattered to deceive for the most part, but with a strong January can still end up finishing the season smelling of roses.

That will almost certainly be the Dutchman’s focus, particularly with all of the expected change going on behind the scenes.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival could well see a shake up in the first-team squad, and one of the first deals that he could be likely to authorise will see a player move from one of his teams to another.

According to The Sun, Nice’s 23-year-old defensive star, Jean-Clair Todibo, is top of the list as far as defensive replacements at Old Trafford are concerned.

Things didn’t quite work out for Todibo when he was at Barcelona, however, he’s one of the rocks in the Nice defence that have ensured the team are just a point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue Un table.

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To that end, a mid-season switch for the player isn’t likely to go down well amongst the Nice faithful, but modern football being what it is means that such a switch could be the first of many for Ratcliffe’s multi-club ownership model.

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Tottenham Hotspur need to be on their guard for an approach from Barcelona for one of their players in January.

The north Londoners could provide the key to unlocking the Catalan’s current issues, exacerbated by the recent injury to talented midfielder, Gavi.

The effervescent youngster won’t play again this season, and is likely to miss Euro 2024 as a result of the knee injury that he suffered in a meaningless qualifier – given that La Roja had already qualified from their group as champions.

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“Beautiful left foot… ” – Eddie Howe excited by ‘real high potential’ Newcastle star

Nov 24 2023, 11:06

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Nov 24 2023, 10:59

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Nov 24 2023, 10:25

If there is to be a saving grace, then it is that the next transfer window is just around the corner and, according to Mundo Deportivo, La Liga are giving the Catalan club some leeway in terms of new signings precisely because of what’s happened to Gavi.

The outlet note that it’s Spurs’ Gio Lo Celso that is at the top of Barcelona’s wish list once the window opens for business on January 1.

He was favoured by Xavi in the summer, but the club’s financial situation conspired against them and the player never arrived.

It appears that they’ll push hard again in the new year, in the hope that the player’s will and Ange Postecoglou’s acquiescence sees the deal go through without too much trouble.

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Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on the Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies.

The 23-year-old Canadian international has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Bundesliga and the Blues are looking to sign the player in the coming months.

However, a report from 90 Min claims that Real Madrid are ahead of the Premier League club in the transfer race. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can win the race for his signature in the coming months.

The 23-year-old will not only improve Chelsea defensively, he would also add a new dimension to their attack. Davies is exceptional going forward and he can operate as a wing-back as well as a winger. The Canadian international has three assists in 11 Bundesliga appearances this season and he would be a quality acquisition for both Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The opportunity to join the Spanish giants can be hard to turn down for any player and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can convince the player with a lucrative proposal.

Real Madrid need to add more depth to the left-back department. Ferland Mendy is the only established option at their disposal right now and Davies would be a major upgrade.

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Nov 24 2023, 11:06

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Davies has already proven himself in the Bundesliga and the opportunity to test himself in the Spanish League or the Premier League will be an attractive proposition.

Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have a proven track record of competing for major trophies and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. The 23-year-old defender has a contract with the German club until the summer of 2025 and it remains to be seen whether Bayern Munich are prepared to cash in on him in the coming months.

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According to AS, Real Madrid are ready to make a galactico level signing this summer, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland the names being touted.

Real Madrid are reportedly looking to spend big in the 2024 summer transfer window, by adding an elite attacker to the squad to partner with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

They currently sit 2nd in La Liga on 32 points, only two points behind suprise league leaders Girona on 34 points. Madrid have won 10, drew two and lost only one game so far in their opening 13 La Liga fixtures.

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“Beautiful left foot… ” – Eddie Howe excited by ‘real high potential’ Newcastle star

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Mbappe has made 15 appearances in all competitions for PSG this campaign so far, scoring 15 goals and providing one assist in 1,241 minutes of football.

He has helped PSG to top of Ligue 1, sitting on 27 points, one point above second placed Nice. They are also second of their Champions League group on six points, one point off first placed Dortmund who have seven points after four games.

Haaland has made 18 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City so far this campaign, scoring 17 goals and providing four assists in 1,510 minutes.

He has helped Manchester City into first place in the Premier League on 28 points, one point above second placed Liverpool and third placed Arsenal. City are also top of their Champions League group on 12 points, winning four out of four so far.

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The time appears to have finally come when a player says enough is enough, and for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, taking a stand against the racists, that deserves respect.

As Vinicius Junior has also recently found out, if you’re world class but happen to be black, that’s seemingly enough to spark a social media free for all.

There’s clearly a lot of people that still think it’s acceptable to slide into a player’s DMs for the express purpose of abusing him.

What Rodrygo has done is taken all of that power back and reduced the racists to nothing.

“Racists are always active. My social networks were invaded with insults and all kinds of nonsense,” he was quoted as saying by transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano.

“If we don’t do what they want, if we don’t behave as they think we should, if we wear something that bothers them, if we don’t lower our heads when we are attacked, if we occupy spaces that they think is theirs, racists take action with all this criminal behaviour,” But it’s their bad luck, we will not stop!”.

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“Beautiful left foot… ” – Eddie Howe excited by ‘real high potential’ Newcastle star

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If nothing else it’ll make him an even bigger target in future away matches, which is why him speaking out in such depth and with such clarity is a big win for the player and for all those fighting to rid football of the racists.

Rodrygo’s outburst comes in the wake of Brazil’s historic defeat to Argentina at the Maracanã.

Though it isn’t known what sparked his words, it’s abundantly clear that he and his fellow black players have just about had enough of it.

The post “We will not stop” – Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has strong message for the racists appeared first on CaughtOffside.

When Lionel Messi was in his Barcelona pomp they were, unquestionably, the best team in the world.

They’ve long since been that of course with manager, Pep Guardiola, now ensuring his Man City side have taken on that particular mantle.

That Barca side, from 2008/09 to 2014/15, have to also be in the conversation for the best ever sides, and though Messi was the King of Camp Nou, he didn’t do it all on his own.

Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Pedro, David Villa, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and many, many more, all played their part.

One player who dovetailed brilliantly with Messi and, in fact, provided the second most assists (42) to him during his time at the club, per Planet Football, was marauding right-back, Dani Alves.

Only Luis Suarez with 47 assists tops that particular list, evidencing just how important Alves was to Messi’s earlier years at Barcelona.

Unfortunately, their trajectories have gone in opposite directions now.

Messi was, finally, victorious at a World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and is now seeing out his playing days at Inter Miami.

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“Beautiful left foot… ” – Eddie Howe excited by ‘real high potential’ Newcastle star

Nov 24 2023, 11:06

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Nov 24 2023, 10:59

Liverpool put eye-watering price tag on Mo Salah amid renewed Saudi interest

Nov 24 2023, 10:25

Alves also played at the last World Cup, however, he was then arrested in January for alleged sexual assault in December in Barcelona, after the tournament in Qatar had finished.

BBC Sport report that he’s been in jail since January with no possibility of bail, and that the Spanish Public Prosecutor is recommending a term of nine years in jail for the Brazilian who has also seen his marriage fail as a result of the allegations.

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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

The injury crisis across football took several victims during this international break, but the anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered by Gavi felt particularly cruel. The 19-year-old was having a monstruous season, starting for Barcelona and Spain, but will now miss the rest of the club season, the Euros and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The question for Barcelona is whether they try to replace him. Sporting Director Deco has explained that that is ‘impossible’ on the market, but Barcelona can bring in a loan signing for up to 80% of Gavi’s wages until the end of the season without salary limit restrictions.

So far the debate is whether they should try and persuade Tottenham Hotspur to part with the almost unused Giovani Lo Celso on loan, or bring forward the transfer of Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old Brazilian striker will join for €30m plus €31m in variables next summer, but they don’t have a back up for the creaking legs of Robert Lewandowski.

Meanwhile Real Madrid have lost Vinicius Junior until February and Eduardo Camavinga until mid-January, to add to a long-term injury list already containing Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Marcelino will do that, according to Trigueros. pic.twitter.com/r5zfLJewXs

— Football España (@footballespana_) November 22, 2023

Yet the talk about replacements in Madrid is quiet – at least for the players. Conflicting information continues to leak out about Carlo Ancelotti and the potential for him to take over the Brazil job next summer, but Los Blancos have contacted Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi about a potential vacancy. He is added to an impressive list of candidates already containing Xabi Alonso.

Elsewhere, Real Betis are negotiating with Leeds United for midifelder Marc Roca, who has been excellent since arriving. West Ham are interested in Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, and Sevilla are after Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

In less frivolous news, the public prosecutor has requested a sentence of nine years behind bars and a fine of €150k for Dani Alves if they get a guilty conviction against the Brazilian for rape. Meanwhile former Sevilla and Ajax midfielder Tarik Oulida will escape jail time entirely after sexually assaulting his own six-year-old daughter.

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