Marquinhos &#8211; CaughtOffside

Chelsea fans need to wait longer to see huge summer signing in action as Fabrizio Romano provides injury update

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Man United one of two clubs that could be dragged into the Premier League’s FFP mess

“Kimpembe has been interested in assessing his potential options away from Paris in the past, but much has changed since there was last any serious interest,” Johnson said.

“The current French and Parisien talent push that PSG are on has been received positively by the defender who is keen to get back on the pitch to be a part of it. Kimpembe also has his France international berth to attempt to win back in time for Euro 2024 so it will be a crucial second part of the season for him.

“My personal feeling based on Kimpembe’s attachment to the club but also Marquinhos’ increasingly complicated situation in terms of form and questionable leadership is that a full recovery for the Frenchman could see PSG fielding offers for the Brazilian from next summer.”

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Exclusive: Arsenal duo still facing transfer uncertainty ahead of potential mass clear-out

Mark Brus — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:17:33 +0000

Arsenal midfielders Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe are still both facing uncertain futures ahead of what could end up being a mass clear-out in the next period of the summer transfer window.

Sources with a close understanding of Arsenal’s current plans have informed CaughtOffside that Partey could still leave for the right price, despite more recent speculation suggesting he’s now set to stay at the Emirates Stadium. At the moment, however, it remains the case that the Gunners are yet to receive any offers for the Ghana international, and it’s unclear if suitors will be willing to meet the north Londoners’ demands.

Fan-favourite Smith Rowe is in a similar situation, with Arsenal open to letting him go if anyone comes in with the right kind of money, though that is yet to materialise. Elsewhere in midfield, Albert Sambi Lokonga could join Burnley, with talks well underway for him to link up with fellow Belgian Vincent Kompany.

Arsenal are also expected to offload defensive players this summer, with Rob Holding a likely candidate for the exit door as he attracts interest from newly-promoted Luton Town. Portuguese duo Cedric Soares and Nuno Tavares are also likely to leave and both have interest from clubs in the Premier League.

Folarin Balogun is among the players who could leave Arsenal

Arsenal’s attack also looks a little congested at the moment, with Folarin Balogun attracting particular attention. CaughtOffside understands that Balogun is not in Mikel Arteta’s plans and is also keen to leave for more playing time.

Inter Milan still looks the most likely destination for Balogun, with the Serie A giants understood not to have dropped their interest in him completely, even if they have also been in touch with West Ham about signing Gianluca Scamacca as a cheaper alternative.

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea fans need to wait longer to see huge summer signing in action as Fabrizio Romano provides injury update

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Man United one of two clubs that could be dragged into the Premier League’s FFP mess

Nicolas Pepe and Marquinhos are two other players not in Arteta’s plans, though there is still no concrete interest in the club’s record signing. Marquinhos, meanwhile, has suitors in both the Premier League and the Championship.

CaughtOffside understands Arsenal are exploring a deal for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, but outgoings still seem to be a main focus before any further major signings can be made.

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Another PSG star is attacked and robbed in violent assault

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:36:56 +0000

The burglaries and attacks on PSG players seem to be being carried out far too often, with goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, the latest to reportedly be targeted.

With the Ligue Un champions set to depart for Japan on a pre-season tour on Saturday, it isn’t yet known if the Italian will be able to make the trip.

BBC, quoting Agence France Presse sources, note that the player and his girlfriend were tied up and robbed by several people at their home in Paris’ eighth district.

It isn’t the first time something like this has happened, with the BBC also noting that both Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria were also targeted in the past.

It’s believed that goods to the value of €500,000 were taken, though that is likely to be the least of Donnarumma’s concerns.

The ease with which these criminals were able to penetrate his private property will arguably mean that the Italian has to beef up his security arrangements.

Paris Saint-Germain themselves need to look at why these situations keep occurring to their players.

More Stories / Latest News

Man United one of two clubs that could be dragged into the Premier League’s FFP mess

Nov 24 2023, 13:23

Chelsea fans need to wait longer to see huge summer signing in action as Fabrizio Romano provides injury update

Nov 24 2023, 12:54

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Nov 24 2023, 12:19

Just last season too, ultras found out where Neymar lived and began chanting to let him know that they wanted him out of the club.

The Daily Mail have also reported recently how the ultras have already let new signing Lucas Hernandez know by social media that he isn’t welcome at the club.

The post Another PSG star is attacked and robbed in violent assault appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Ranking all 24 Arsenal signings under Mikel Arteta, with Martin Odegaard beaten to top spot

Mark Brus — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 14:04:55 +0000

Following the statement signing of Declan Rice, we thought we’d take a look at all 24 transfers brought to Arsenal since Mikel Arteta took over as manager.

It’s fair to say the Spanish tactician has transformed the team since he took over from Unai Emery midway through the 2019/20 season, with big names like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shown the door, and barely any players left from the squad he first inherited.

Much of Arsenal’s success has been with young players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, who were at the club before Arteta, but he’s also been given a lot of money to spend to change the look of this side.

He hasn’t always got it right, but Rice is the latest exciting addition to a new-look Gunners side, and we tried our best to rank them from worst to best below. Let us know what you think!

24. Willian

He may only have been a free transfer, so hardly the biggest waste of money, but Willian was dreadful in his single season at Arsenal and nothing like the superb talent we saw for so many years at Chelsea. Quite what went wrong for him in Arteta’s team is not really clear, but he surely has to be the worst of these 24 signings given the expectations on him when he arrived.

Willian was a major flop for Arsenal

23. Runar Alex Runarsson

Never really intended to be anything more than a backup player, but Runar Alex Runarsson didn’t really look up to the standard required even in that role, prompting Arteta to sign other backup ‘keepers when they became available.

22. Cedric Soares

Initially signed on loan from Southampton, Cedric Soares then made that move permanent on a free transfer. The Portuguese full-back has never really looked good enough for a club like Arsenal, though, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise really, given that he also wasn’t really good enough for Southampton when he was there either.

21. Pablo Mari

Arteta’s first signing, but not a particularly memorable one. Pablo Mari had some decent games and could perhaps have continued as a backup player, but he’s not someone the north Londoners will have wanted to rely on too often in order to truly make the step up to the next level.

20. Matthew Ryan (loan)

Played three games and didn’t do much of note, another forgettable signing that never promised too much in the first place anyway.

19. Albert Sambi Lokonga

Despite initially looking like a promising young talent, Albert Sambi Lokonga’s career has stalled slightly and he now looks a long way from playing regularly for Arsenal. Failed to do much on loan at Crystal Palace last season either, so what the future holds for him remains to be seen.

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea fans need to wait longer to see huge summer signing in action as Fabrizio Romano provides injury update

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Man United one of two clubs that could be dragged into the Premier League’s FFP mess

18. Nuno Tavares

Occasionally very good going forward, but not a player with quite the right work rate or discipline to do the job required of him in defence. Likely to be best remembered for a goal against Manchester United, but has since been out on loan with mixed results. A permanent sale surely beckons.

17. Marquinhos

The success of Gabriel Martinelli perhaps persuaded Arsenal they’d found another wonderkid in Brazil, but Marquinhos has flattered to deceive so far. A quiet loan spell at Norwich City last season is a tad worrying, so quite where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but he’ll need to show some progress soon or he’s going to be another flop.

Marquinhos has struggled at Arsenal so far

16. Matt Turner

A decent enough backup goalkeeper, but Arsenal haven’t seen that much of him yet and will probably be hoping they don’t have to for any prolonged period.

15. Dani Ceballos (loan)

First signed on loan by Unai Emery, Arteta then decided to bring Ceballos back again for another loan spell in the 2020/21 season, but for all the hype he just never really looked at home at the Emirates Stadium and they didn’t keep him. There’ll be few regrets about that, even if he’s established himself as a decent squad player back at Real Madrid.

14. Fabio Vieira

There could be a very decent player in there somewhere, but it’s not quite happened yet for Fabio Vieira. The Portuguese playmaker has a lovely left foot, but needs to bulk up a bit physically and generally impose himself on games more. This season will surely be crucial for him, with progress needed sooner rather than later.

13. Jakub Kiwior

A slightly under-the-radar January signing, but Jakub Kiwior made a good impression in a few outings towards the end of last season. Quite how much he’ll get to play in 2023/24 remains unclear, but Arsenal fans can rest easy if he’s called upon as an occasional rotation option – he’s clearly a level up from Rob Holding.

12. Jorginho

Not particularly likely to be starting games week in, week out, but Jorginho looks an astute signing by Arsenal last January. This experienced and intelligent midfield ball player brings a sense of calm and authority when he plays, and looks like he’ll have an important role to play off the pitch as well.

11. Kai Havertz

It’s hard to know where to rank the players who haven’t played yet, but at a guess we think Kai Havertz will end up being a pretty good signing. The Germany international is far from the only top player who went backwards at Chelsea, so Gooners should have some optimism about what Arteta can do with him in the season ahead.

10. Leandro Trossard

A quietly brilliant signing in January, Leandro Trossard made a great impact when he got on the pitch, with many fans feeling he probably should’ve started more matches in that title run-in. The Belgian has been an assist machine for Arsenal, and there’ll also surely be more to come from him as a goal threat next term too.

Leandro Trossard in action for Arsenal

9. Ben White

A composed performer at either centre-back or right-back, Ben White is a majorly underrated member of this Arsenal squad and in the Premier League in general. Some may have been unconvinced when they first signed him from Brighton, but it looks like great business now.

8. Aaron Ramsdale

It wasn’t immediately clear if Aaron Ramsdale would replace Bernd Leno as number one, and it didn’t happen for him straight away, but what an upgrade this proved to be. The England shot-stopper has made some memorable saves and is clearly a great character to have in the dressing room as well.

7. Jurrien Timber

Again, this can only be a prediction based on our gut instincts, but Jurrien Timber looks like having the potential to be a transformative signing for Arsenal. Arteta has added another of the finest young defenders in Europe to go alongside Saliba, and it’ll be intriguing to see what the young Dutchman can offer either at centre-back or as an inverted right-back.

6.Thomas Partey

A player who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves, Thomas Partey truly bossed Arsenal’s midfield last season and it’s slightly surprising that his future is now in doubt. The Ghana international may have been a little slow to get going when he first joined, but he’s surely a valuable member of this squad who’d be worth holding onto for a bit longer.

5. Oleksandr Zinchenko

Joining last summer, Oleksandr Zinchenko proved key for Arteta to really get this team playing the way he wanted, and one imagines that they wouldn’t have been true title challengers without the Ukraine international. More consistency is required in the new season, but he’s undoubtedly been a hugely important signing in the Arteta era.

4. Gabriel Jesus

Moving from Manchester City along with Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus was another huge piece of business by Arsenal, and there’ll surely be more to come from him in 2023/24. The Brazilian forward showed his quality last season but missed a large chunk of the campaign through injury, so fans will hope he stays fit this time and adds a bit more killer instinct in front of goal.

3. Gabriel Magalhaes

A world class centre-back, Gabriel Magalhaes has sometimes been overshadowed by Saliba’s remarkable rise in the Arsenal defence, but the Brazilian looks one of the bargains of the last five years in the Premier League. He wasn’t the biggest name when he arrived, but he is surely one of the first names on Arteta’s team sheet.

2. Martin Odegaard

What an inspired signing Martin Odegaard has been for Arsenal. After struggling for playing time at Real Madrid, he joined the Gunners on loan initially and took a little while to get going, though he really raised his game once the deal was made permanent. Now club captain and one of the best players in the Premier League, the Norwegian is sure to be vital to the club’s success for the next few years to come.

Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice

1. Declan Rice

Of course, he’s yet to kick a ball for Arsenal, but we’re putting Declan Rice at the top simply because of just how massive a statement this is for the club. Arteta has worked his magic to lure such an elite talent to Arsenal as he approaches his peak years, and it’s surely going to ensure major titles are heading back to the Emirates at long last. The price tag is a big weight on his shoulders, but he’s got the mentality to take that in his stride and help lift this team to another level.

The post Ranking all 24 Arsenal signings under Mikel Arteta, with Martin Odegaard beaten to top spot appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Video: Paris Saint-Germain new kit release features Lionel Messi

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 31 May 2023 07:12:26 +0000

It seems that Barcelona or any other interested party might be about to miss out on the signature of Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian was thought to be leaving the French champions in the summer at the conclusion of his two-year contract, however, on Wednesday morning, PSG released the video to show off their new kit for the 2023/24 campaign and Messi featured prominently.

In the technological age, when he could quite easily have been edited out of the final version, it’s a move from the Ligue Un outfit that leaves a huge question mark hanging over Messi’s future.

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Presenting our new 23/24 season ???? ?????? @nikefootball ??

A shirt that honours the design of a classic Parisian kit and embodies the unique spirit of the French capital ?#???????????? pic.twitter.com/nQURugA94J

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 31, 2023

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Exclusive Jonathan Johnson column: Neymar transfer issue, Thuram’s Chelsea rejection, and more

Jonathan Johnson — Fri, 26 May 2023 11:30:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to my latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside – click here to subscribe to get this straight to your inbox and completely ad-free, plus more insider transfer news from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, and more!

PSG looking for buyers for Neymar but may have to look outside Europe

One of the big stories of the week has involved Neymar and those links with Manchester United. It’s important to be clear that, what’s happened there is not any direct contact between United and any other club with PSG, but it’s intermediaries, who are aware that PSG want to move Neymar on, and that’s nothing new, they tried to do so last summer as well.

The difference now is PSG have finally realised that they probably won’t be able to get rid of Neymar on a permanent deal, so they might accept a loan deal with an option or obligation to make the move permanent. The key for PSG is to get as much of his wages off their bill as possible, and that’s going to be a massive challenge.

Overall, I don’t think we can describe Neymar’s time at PSG as anything but underwhelming. I don’t think he’s set out to achieve what he wanted to achieve when he joined as the most expensive footballer of all time in 2017, and I don’t think PSG have achieved what they wanted to either.

It’s become quite a problematic situation, as we saw with the recent protests outside his house, with fans chanting that they wanted him to leave. That tells you all you need to know about Neymar’s relationship with the club’s fans now, and to be honest, there haven’t been too many European clubs who think Neymar would be a smart signing at this moment in time. He’s 31, he’s coming off the back of another injury – one which he really should have had surgery on when he arrived in Paris six years ago, and if you look at his social media, there’s nothing about football, it’s all gambling promotions and that kind of stuff. I think a lot of clubs are now wary that, despite the fact that Neymar once had the potential to be a Ballon d’Or winner, he’s on the verge of perhaps using up all his credit in Europe, so I think potentially a lucrative move to somewhere like Saudi Arabia could be the most realistic option for him now. Any European club making an offer for Neymar would have to be able to offer Champions League football, and it just doesn’t look a worthwhile risk when you look at the wages he’s on, with PSG so keen to get most, if not all of that off their books.

That looks a difficult ask for most European clubs, especially with the way business is being done these days. There’s not as much in the way of frivolous spending sprees, I think those days are more or less over; you look at someone like Newcastle United, who, under very wealthy owners, have got into the Champions League without spending stupid amounts of money on statement signings like Neymar, so why would they change now? Neymar certainly hasn’t shown anything in the last few years that suggests he’d be a game-changer anymore for big European clubs like that. His stats were pretty decent before the World Cup, but there’s the sense that that was more because of a focus on getting into form ahead of Qatar, rather than because of anything going on at PSG. His form then tailed off hugely, and if he’s going to be so selective about when he turns it on then I think a lot of clubs will be put off by that, because it’s clear that he can be a disruptive presence in the dressing room and away from the pitch as well.

On a side note, there’s not much to the links with Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae. PSG have already secured the signing of Milan Skriniar on a free transfer from Inter Milan. PSG wanted him in January but he’s set to join as a free agent this summer instead, though one issue since then is that he’s had to have an operation on a back problem, so there’s no guarantee that he’s going to be in a better state than someone like Presnel Kimpembe, who’s also been out with a long-term injury.

So if PSG do bring someone in as a defensive reinforcement, I think it would more likely be a squad option. Assuming Marquinhos signs his new contract and PSG go with a three-man defence, that would likely be Marquinhos, Skriniar and Kimpembe as the first choice, so there doesn’t look to be room for Kim, who would also be extremely expensive. There’s also some uncertainty over Sergio Ramos and whether it would be worth keeping him around for another season.

On top of that, there’s also uncertainty over who will be PSG’s coach next season, so that creates a lot of unanswered questions over things like Neymar’s future, and probably makes a costly signing like Kim unlikely.

Ousmane Dembele’s Barcelona uncertainty

Ousmane Dembele’s future is under the spotlight again as we approach the summer, and he’s a player who will always have interest in him, as he’s a talented player who is still regarded as a potential star, only for ongoing issues with fitness and consistency. He signed a new contract with Barcelona last summer and my understanding is that has a release clause in the region of €50m. That’s a lot of money for a player who, like Neymar, would represent a bit of a gamble for most clubs.

In an ideal world Barcelona would like to keep him, and for him to succeed, but if you look at their ongoing financial problems, it’s likely to be a summer in which there’s a major overhaul of the squad. We saw that Barcelona were very close to sacrificing Dembele in the past, only for him to stay on reduced wages, so it’s clear he’s not exactly seen as a player who can be relied upon for the long term; you always know there will be large swathes of the season when he’s either unavailable or out of form.

My understanding is that Barcelona could let him go if the right offer comes in, but at the same time it’s hard to imagine someone will just come in and activate that release clause, I think that would be wishful thinking. Dembele is a name clubs will certainly look at this summer, but whether they make a bid is something else entirely.

Like most players at the very top, I’m sure Dembele could be open to playing in the Premier League at some point. However, my understanding is that the closest he’s come to leaving Barcelona so far was when PSG showed interest in him when Leonardo was still sporting director. There has been interest from Premier League clubs down the years, but my impression is that he doesn’t necessarily look at it as the best destination for him. We’ve seen him struggle with physical problems and the Premier League is a very physically demanding league, so I’m not sure it would be the best fit for him. Were there to be an offer on the table for him from a Premier League club I have no doubt he’d consider it, but I don’t think he sees it as a priority or best fit for his profile.

The most likely destinations for Marcus Thuram

Marcus Thuram is set to become a free agent this summer, and he’s seen as an enticing option on the market by a number of clubs around Europe this summer. My understanding is that the strongest interest is coming from Spain and Italy, and it seems most likely that he’ll go to a club from Spain. Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan look like two names to watch.

With Chelsea, there was interest in January but it’s understandable that he decided not to make the move. Looking at the state of Chelsea right now, it’s a hard sell, and now they’re going to be without Champions League football as well. The squad appears to be being put together quite sloppily, so it’s hard to see it being a smart move. Perhaps if someone like Newcastle came in for Thuram now, with the offer of Champions League football, that could be of interest to him, but I understand he sees Spain as a preferable destination, while he also wouldn’t be against returning to France. PSG might see him as an interesting opportunity to add some variety to their attack, and he also has a good relationship with Kylian Mbappe, which shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to decisions like this.

Still, if I had to pick two likely destinations for him, I think Atleti and Inter look the favourites. He’s allowed himself a few months to come to the end of his contract so there’ll be options out there for him, and I think he’ll make his choice once the Bundesliga season comes to an end.

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea fans need to wait longer to see huge summer signing in action as Fabrizio Romano provides injury update

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Man United one of two clubs that could be dragged into the Premier League’s FFP mess

Hannibal Mejbri could benefit from Ligue 1 return

Hannibal Mejbri will be facing an important summer after spending the season on loan at Birmingham City from Manchester United. He’s been regarded as a big prospect for some time, but it hasn’t quite happened for him yet.

I remember there was a lot of interest in him when he was at Monaco, and Monaco youth academy graduates tend to attract a lot of interest generally, before Kylian Mbappe’s emergence but even more since then. There’s no doubt with Mejbri that there’s a Premier League-quality player in there, but it’s just about unlocking that potential.

Looking at Mejbri now, he perhaps still needs to mature a little before being ready for Premier League football, and one way for him to do that maybe is to return to Ligue 1 on a loan deal next season and really push himself into contention to play for a Premier League club. His potential is extremely high, that was clear when he was playing in France, so there’s still time for him to unlock that, but having said that, I don’t know if he’s going to be quite at the level for a club like Manchester United.

Where he goes next will be key for his development, let’s see if he can explode into a real top talent, or if he ends up being more of a solid profile for most Premier League clubs, if not that elite group at the top.

Growing interest in Montpellier wonderkid Elye Wahi

Elye Wahi is an interesting player who’s starting to attract a lot of interest after his fine form with Montpellier this season. Still only 20 years of age, the forward has 17 goals and five assists in Ligue 1, and there’s growing interest from clubs across Europe.

Elye Wahi celebrates a goal for Montpellier

German clubs often keep an eye on Ligue 1, with the success of players like Moussa Diaby and Randal Kolo Muani, and Wahi is the latest coming up on their radars. There have also been links with Arsenal, and there was seemingly heavy interest from Tottenham a few months ago, though that’s died down now that the club have fallen out of contention for a Champions League place.

Wahi is very highly rated and there are clubs in Ligue 1 keeping an eye on him as well to potentially see if they can move him out of Montpellier. He has said on record that he’d be open to staying in France for a bit longer, so that could be one to watch. My feeling is that he’s a raw talent and he could perhaps do with going to a club who’d act as a sort of a finishing school for him before moving to a top Premier League club.

With regards to those links to Arsenal, it’s becoming increasingly clear that they’re ready to offload Folarin Balogun this summer, so I don’t see the logic in them filling in his position in the squad with someone like Wahi, who needs to keep on playing somewhere where he’ll be first choice. There’s no doubting his talent and goal-scoring ability, he’s a real predator who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net and that’s going to be extremely valuable for a number of clubs. But whether he stays at Montpellier or goes elsewhere, he needs to start, and if he goes to Arsenal that would not be guaranteed.

The post Exclusive Jonathan Johnson column: Neymar transfer issue, Thuram’s Chelsea rejection, and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Arsenal scouting youthful duo, who Chelsea could’ve signed instead of Mudryk & more – Fabrizio Romano

Fabrizio Romano — Mon, 01 May 2023 10:55:00 +0000

Happy Monday guys, I hope you enjoy my latest exclusive Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe if you want this and other exclusive transfer news ad-free and straight to your inbox every morning!

AC Milan

Chelsea wanted Rafael Leao last August but then they invested in Mykhaylo Mudryk instead. Man City were never in the race recently. He’s very happy at Milan, the agreement is very close but not completed or signed yet. We have to wait and see at the end of the season.

Arsenal

I’ve mentioned Arsenal and Chelsea’s interest in Yunus Musah and it is the case that they are following Musah since January; Inter as well. At the moment it’s just scouting and not advanced yet, but Musah has good chances to move this summer.

There’s nothing advanced with Arsenal and Marc Guehi, but they are monitoring him, it’s just normal scouting. No decision has been made and there’s nothing concrete at this stage on Guehi but many top clubs are following him.

There have been reports of Dusan Vlahovic’s agent offering him to Arsenal, but I’m not aware of that, honestly. Arsenal are not working to sign Vlahovic at this stage and there’s absolutely nothing to report on that front.

Barcelona

Sergio Busquets is now expected to stay at Barcelona for one more season. Clear feeling waiting on the full agreement, talks ongoing.

Xavi: “Busi for me is key, crucial. He’s tactically perfect footballer and I hope he stays, but… it depends on him.”

Bayern Munich

Thomas Tuchel on Sadio Mane’s difficult moment: “The situation is as it is. He has to keep his head up and keep working. Mane has scored countless goals in the toughest league in the world.”

Oliver Kahn on his future: “Of course I’ll still be here at Bayern next year. No doubts.”

Brentford

Things with Ivan Toney could move in the summer. At the moment there’s not something concrete with any of Manchester United, Chelsea or Newcastle, but I’m told he’s open to make a top club move in the summer so it’s one to watch for sure. However, there’s no clarity on the player’s asking price yet.

Ivan Toney to move this summer?

Brighton

Klopp: “We have no chance to enter into the top four, of course not. Brighton played one of the best football games this weekend I’ve ever seen in my life, I’ve to say. Roberto De Zerbi, wow.”

Chelsea

There’s a chance that Yunus Musah could leave Valencia this summer and Chelsea are alongside Arsenal and Inter as clubs who’ve been scouting him.

Jurgen Klopp on Chelsea: “I feel a little bit for Chelsea but it’s also good to see that you can’t just bring top players together and it works out. You cannot have two dressing rooms. You have to create relationships.”

Do you have faith in Chelsea’s transfer strategy? Give me your thoughts in the comments!

Galatasaray

Nicolo Zaniolo’s agent Claudio Vigorelli: “He was on Barcelona list on January, it’s true — they appreciated him but unfortunately it was not possible to proceed due to financial reasons. He needed to change air, he’s happy at Galatasaray”

The post Exclusive: Arsenal scouting youthful duo, who Chelsea could’ve signed instead of Mudryk & more – Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

PSG ready to secure £50m-rated Man United star in summer swoop

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 06:44:50 +0000

If there’s one thing that Paris Saint-Germain aren’t short of it’s money, though a potential move for one Manchester United star seems an odd one to say the least.

Sent tumbling out of the Champions League once again, one has to question where their problems lie.

Against Bayern Munich over two legs, not even with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in situ, could the Ligue Un side get on the scoresheet.

That would hint at an attack that isn’t working which, whilst ostensibly true for the latter stages of the premier European competition is quite the opposite domestically.

Indeed, according to FotMob, their front three had, up until Neymar’s injury, scored 44 goals in the French top flight during 2022/23.

It’s therefore arguable that when the going gets tough in the Champions League, PSG’s defence can’t get going.

When you consider they have the experienced and imposing Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, as well as Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos as part of their back line, it’s worth paying more attention to the mental aspects of the game and whether some of PSG’s players do have a block when it comes to the really big tests.

It’s hard to think of any other explanation for a team chock full of world stars.

Although Man United’s Harry Maguire has had a tough time of it on the pitch recently at Old Trafford, with his game time reducing under Erik ten Hag, there doesn’t appear to be an issue with his mentality.

The Dutchman even singled Maguire out for praise in his first interview as United boss, per Daily Mail, even if the centre-back has found himself down the pecking order since then.

It’s perhaps with that in mind that The Sun are reporting that PSG are potentially willing to test the waters and table a £50m offer for the England international this summer.

If that seems a little surprising, the outlet also note that a deal was on the table during the January window but the clubs ran out of time.

With plenty of time before the summer window opens, if PSG are serious, then there don’t appear to be any barriers to getting this deal over the line.

The post PSG ready to secure £50m-rated Man United star in summer swoop appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Bellingham Liverpool, Man City transfer decision, Neves Barcelona & more – Fabrizio Romano

Fabrizio Romano — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 09:30:32 +0000

Good morning guys and welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing – if you like this post, click here for a 90-day free trial and get this ad-free and straight to your inbox five mornings a week!

Atletico Madrid

Memphis Depay on his decision to join Atletico Madrid: “I’m very happy. I came to this beautiful club to score goals. I’m just waiting for more opportunities to score more to be important for the team.”

Barcelona

Ruben Neves has been discussed with Barcelona but they have different priorities for the summer including Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, so let’s see how they will decide to proceed.

Barcelona are working on new contracts for Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Balde, but Ousmane Dembele could be one to watch in the next months. Yes, he extended his contract in the summer, but only until 2024. He’s now in fantastic form for Barca, Xavi is happy with him, so now there will be conversations about another new deal.

Bayer Leverkusen

Piero Hincapie has just signed new long term contract with Bayer Leverkusen — deal will be valid until June 2027. A highly rated young centre-back, Hincapie has been on the list of many big clubs — Ecuador keep producing talents such as Moises Caicedo, young gem Kendry Paez, Hincapie & more.

Piero Hincapie

Chelsea

Malo Gusto: “I’m happy to join Chelsea, it was almost last minute — was a good proposal, with a good project behind it. We spoke for months. Chelsea are very big club. I know what to expect, and I sign to play and impose myself there.”

Graham Potter: “Long-term doesn’t exist in this job. You have to acknowledge there’s a long term but there’s a short term and medium term that’s challenging for us in terms of results. We all want to win, all of us and the supporters.”

Chelsea are among the clubs monitoring Brentford goalkeeper David Raya ahead of the summer (Football London)

Eintracht Frankfurt

Daichi Kamada’s contract expires in June, this is why there are many clubs linked and interested. Nothing is advanced or decided yet, there are clubs in England, Italy and Germany keeping an eye on him. But the feeling is the decision will be made later this year.

Fulham

Kevin Mbabu leaves Fulham, done deal. Agreement completed and now set to be signed with Swiss side Geneve Servette on loan until June. Understand medical tests will take place today — Mbabu is already in Geneva and documents are 100% ready.

Inter Milan

I’m aware of some reports linking Andre Onana with Premier League clubs, but my understanding is that there’s nothing between English clubs and Onana at this stage. The expectation is for him to stay at Inter, he’s really happy in Milano and there are no negotiations at all.

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Liverpool

There was a story recently that got a bit of attention, as the agent of Virgil van Dijk and Harvey Elliott joined the Roof agency, but that’s all that happened, it was not a change in representation for the players, as such. There’s nothing changing about their future, they are both key parts of Liverpool plans.

For sure Liverpool want to support Klopp in the summer with the new signings. Jude Bellingham is the top priority but there’s a chance they can go for one more midfielder because of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain contract situation. I’d keep an eye also on the centre-backs situation.

Jurgen Klopp: “I’m not happy with our situation, but how you deal with the situation and behave in the situation decides how the time will be after it. I am responsible for all this. If you want to criticise, criticise me. Don’t go for the wrong people.”

Cody Gakpo: “I spoke to Van Nistelrooy a lot about Manchester United in the summer when the transfer looked like it may be coming. But in the winter, not really. It was Ruud’s wish that I went to a big club – and I think I have achieved that with Liverpool. When I heard about interest from Liverpool in December, I did not think about anything else. There was also Chelsea interest maybe but I already had my mind made up.”

The post Exclusive: Bellingham Liverpool, Man City transfer decision, Neves Barcelona & more – Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Man City admire Chelsea star, Man United striker transfer targets & more – Fabrizio Romano

Fabrizio Romano — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 12:27:39 +0000

Hey guys, welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing – enjoy today’s round-up!

AC Milan

AC Milan have scheduled new meeting with Olivier Giroud agents to extend the contract — current one expires in June.

Everton asked about Giroud on Deadline Day, MLS clubs also wanted him but there was no way to negotiate: he’s a crucial player for AC Milan.

Arsenal

Arsenal’s priority for the summer is Declan Rice and they look to be leading the race for his signature at the moment, as per Ben Jacobs’ exclusive column here.

Atlanta United

Official, confirmed: Atlanta United have signed Giorgios Giakoumakis as new striker on a permanent deal from Celtic. Three year deal with option confirmed, £4.3m fee to Celtic — deal hijacked as he was set to join Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds.

Bayern Munich

Joao Cancelo recently joined Bayern Munich on loan

Bayern director Hasan Salihamidzic: “We have received a Deadline bid for Pavard but we don’t want, can’t do without him. It was attractive financially, but sporting aspect comes first.”

My understanding is that the Benjamin Pavard proposal was NOT from Barcelona, as they want Pavard as a target for the summer.

FC Bayern have not paid any loan fee to Manchester City for Joao Cancelo. No money invested to sign him on loan in January, there’s just €70m buy option clause for June, which is not mandatory.

Chelsea

Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is one of the players who has been appreciated by Manchester City for years. For sure he’s one of the LB to consider, but I’m told not the only one. They will have a shortlist of players in that position and will decide how to proceed together with Pep in May/June.

Chelsea are speaking to Lewis Hall representatives, new contract has been discussed. It’s not completed yet but it’s one of the new deal in talks alongside N’Golo Kante and especially Thiago Silva, main priority.

As for Conor Gallagher, I think the second part of the season will be crucial to determine his future, but nothing has been decided yet, with deals for the likes of Kante and Silva the club’s main priority at the moment.

My understanding is that Chelsea feel there will be no issues to get a work permit for Andrey Santos. The process is very advanced — as club remains confident to receive the green light soon. Chelsea’s plan has always been to include Andrey in the squad instead of loaning him out to Brazilian clubs.

AS Roma director Tiago Pinto: “Hakim Ziyech was one of our targets, we had talks with his agents and Chelsea but the deal collapsed.”

It’s over for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Chelsea – could he be set for the MLS next? Click here to find out more!

Galatasaray

It’s finally official – Nicolo Zaniolo has signed as new Galatasaray player, now confirmed by AS Roma statement. He’s signed a four-year contract with his new club, who paid an initial €16.5m fee with €13m potential add-ons. He also has a €35m release clause.

Hoffenheim

Official. Pellegrino Matarazzo has been appointed as new Hoffenheim head coach, return completed. Matarazzo signs until June 2025.

Liverpool

Could Liverpool revive their interest in this Ajax star after recently showing an interest? Click here to find out more!

Manchester City

Ben Chilwell is on Man City’s radar

Newcastle are following James Maddison as priority target since long time. We will see if Manchester City will join the race, at the moment there are no contacts ongoing as they are still working on Jude Bellingham deal alongside Liverpool and Real Madrid.

What really went on between Joao Cancelo and Pep Guardiola before his surprise exit? Click here to find out!

Manchester United

Despite rumours, I’m not aware of any contact or negotiation for Tammy Abraham on Manchester United side, at the moment. I think we will hear many names around Man Utd, every day we have Vlahovic, Kane, Sesko, Osimhen, Abraham… but the reality is that decision time will not be February or March.

I’ve been asked by fans about links with Everton youngster Jarrad Branthwaite, but I’m not aware of this at this stage. He’s doing great but Manchester United have different priorities, then scouts of top clubs are always around Europe and so it’s normal to have this kind of links.

Erik ten Hag: “I’m here to build a long-term project, not just for one year. I think our summer plans, we have an idea on the long-term plans. You will also look two-three windows ahead. But also, you have to revisit that plan because of developments.”

Will Donny van de Beek be leaving Manchester United this summer? It might not be that straightforward, according to Ben Jacobs…

Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong as Barcelona need to majorly reduce their wage bill (Mundo Deportivo)

Napoli

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis on Victor Osimhen’s future: “I can tell you that Osimhen is not for sale. Our players are in demand, but I don’t have to sell anyone. We don’t have any debts.”

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