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Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

France now lead 2-0 in the game, putting them in second place in the group standings with 3 points, while Italy remains in the lead with 6 points.

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Fabrizio Romano unveils his favourite transfer from the 2024 summer window

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:03:17 +0000

The 2024 summer transfer window has shut for all of Europe’s big five leagues and after months of working on transfer stories, Fabrizio Romano has revealed his favourite signing over the last three months.

The summer transfer window is crucial for football clubs as they look to add to their squads for the new season and fix issues that appeared throughout the previous campaign.

Major deals took place during this summer with Kylian Mbappe’s switch to Real Madrid being the biggest story, while Atletico Madrid’s acquisition of Julian Alvarez from Man City was the most expensive with £82m switching hands.

However, none of these two deals were Fabrizio Romano‘s favourite from the 2024 summer transfer window.

The transfer expert has admitted that Paris Saint-Germain’s capture of João Neves from Benfica was his favourite transfer ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as he believes that the midfielder was somewhat of a bargain, despite the €70m fee attached to the deal, as the midfielder’s potential is very high.

Fabrizio Romano’s favourite summer transfer was João Neves’ move from Benfica to PSG

Fabrizio Romano reveals his favourite signing of the 2024 summer transfer window

Speaking on the latest episode of CaughtOffside’s The Debrief podcast, Fabrizio Romano stated that Neves’ move to PSG was his favourite, but also threw another transfer into the mix.

“My favourite deal has been João Neves to Paris Saint-Germain. I think Paris Saint-Germain signed a fantastic, fantastic player for the present and also for the future. I still believe that the future of João Neves is going to be super bright. The potential of this boy is something really, really special,” the transfer expert said.

“Signing a quality player like him with a big potential for €60m plus €10m in add-ons, I think for modern football and modern transfer markets, it’s an incredible price. It’s kind of a bargain. So I think PSG signed a gem with Neves, one of my favourite transfers.”

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

Romano continued by giving an honourable mention to Scott McTominay’s switch from Man United to Napoli.

“I also really appreciated Scott McTominay to Napoli. I think for Serie A, he’s perfect. For Antonio Conte, he’s perfect. It was a very good signing for Napoli. So I mentioned these two, but Neves is my favourite.”

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Exclusive: Trio of elite clubs chasing ambitious Arsenal transfer raid, deal likely to cost €120m-plus

Mark Brus — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:26:41 +0000

Arsenal defender William Saliba is being tracked by Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside.

Although there is little prospect of the Gunners selling Saliba for anything other than crazy money, at least €120million or probably more, there is understood to be strong interest from these three elite clubs as they rate the talented young Frenchman very highly.

Saliba has firmly established himself as one of the finest defensive players in world football in recent years, and it would be a huge blow for Arsenal to lose him as they aim to get back to the top in the Premier League and become serious challengers for the Champions League as well.

Thankfully for Arsenal fans, Saliba has a contract until 2027 at the Emirates Stadium, so there’s little pressure to let him go, though one imagines the 23-year-old might find it hard to say no to some of these big names involved.

William Saliba in action for Arsenal

Saliba transfer: Arsenal need to keep star centre-back

Arsenal used to sell their star names, much to their detriment, as they lost the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez during their peak years.

They won’t want to make the same mistake again as it cost them success in the past, and someone like Saliba surely has it in him to be a real leader for this team for many years to come.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

Arsenal have made so much progress under Mikel Arteta, and Saliba is surely going to be someone viewed as untouchable for the foreseeable future, alongside others like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

Real Madrid would surely love to have a Galactico of this kind, however, while we all know PSG like to sign the best French players if they can, so this story won’t be completely going away any time soon.

The post Exclusive: Trio of elite clubs chasing ambitious Arsenal transfer raid, deal likely to cost €120m-plus appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool star open to staying in Europe as two major clubs enquire about transfer

Mark Brus — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 06:41:34 +0000

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is reportedly open to staying in Europe despite transfer rumours linking him with clubs in the Saudi Pro League as he nears the end of his contract with the Reds.

The Egypt international has been a star player for Liverpool for many years now, winning major honours such as the Premier League and the Champions League, and netting a remarkable 214 goals in 352 games for the Merseyside giants in total.

Salah has his admirers in Saudi Arabia, but it seems he’s also attracted enquiries from Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus after he recently made it clear this would be his final season at Liverpool, with the player still open to staying in Europe for a while longer, according to a report from El Nacional.

The 32-year-old might not be at the very peak of his career right now, but he remains a world class talent and doesn’t seem to be showing much sign of slowing down, so could perhaps emulate someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still going strong even as he approaches his 40th birthday.

Mohamed Salah to PSG or Juventus?

Salah transfer: Could Liverpool star move to PSG or Juventus?

PSG lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, so it makes sense that they could be in the market for a top attacking player like Salah to help replace their former star.

Salah would surely be tempted by these projects, with both PSG and Juve tending to play in the Champions League and compete for major honours basically every season.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

After conquering English football, it’s easy to imagine Salah might be tempted to test himself in another major European league, though he has already spent some time in Italy, representing both Fiorentina and Roma earlier in his career.

Liverpool fans will no doubt hope there’s still a chance, however, for them to keep Salah for a bit longer.

The post Liverpool star open to staying in Europe as two major clubs enquire about transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

PSG have new contract ready for key figure whose current deal is close to expiring

Mark Brus — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:04:08 +0000

Paris Saint-Germain reportedly have a new contract proposal ready for their manager Luis Enrique as he’s done an impressive job in his time at the Parc des Princes.

According to Fabrizio Romano on X, formerly Twitter, PSG are keen to keep hold of Enrique, whose current contract only runs until summer 2025, meaning there actually isn’t that long for the Ligue 1 giants to resolve the Spanish tactician’s future.

See below for details from Romano as he explains just how keen PSG are to keep on working with Enrique, who has also been heavily involved in the club’s transfers since taking the job in the French capital…

??? Paris Saint-Germain have new contract proposal ready for Luis Enrique as key part of the project.

Spanish manager was fully involved in transfer plan this summer and he’s highly rated at the club.

Current deal expires in June 2025, PSG are working to extend it. pic.twitter.com/POguvflPm1

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 8, 2024

Enrique previously impressed during his time in charge of Barcelona, where he won the treble in the 2014/15 season, while he also did well during a spell as manager of the Spanish national team.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

PSG have had a number of underwhelming managers in recent years, but Enrique looks like a really smart appointment, and it’s clear he’d have a lot of interest from other top clubs if he were to leave his current job at the end of his contract.

Luis Enrique could get a new contract at PSG

It will be interesting to see how this saga develops, but one imagines PSG have the resources to give Enrique the kind of new contract that would satisfy him.

PSG won the Ligue 1 title last season and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and it’s the latter that club bosses will really be keen for Enrique to deliver as soon as possible.

That won’t be easy after the blow of losing star player Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, but Enrique’s good work with the team means they actually still look in good shape, even with the departure of such a world class talent up front.

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Exclusive: Stan Collymore’s ingenious plan to ensure Premier League players remain in peak condition

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

If there was one thing at the Euros which was notable from the get go, it was how tired so many players looked, England in particular, and Stan Collymore has hit upon an ingenious idea to lighten the load for Premier League players.

It isn’t just an English top-flight problem, with the most successful sides across the continent playing far too many games now in any one season.

Aside from domestic cup competitions and the bread and butter of league football, there are Champions League/Europa League/Conference League games to get through on top of that for certain clubs.

Collymore wants Premier League players to have capped appearances

Not to mention either Nations League games or qualifiers for the World Cup or European Championship.

A former professional himself, Collymore believes he has hit on the solution.

“There is an absolutely ridiculous amount of football played in a season nowadays and players, despite being in peak physical condition, just can’t cope with it. This was proven by several lacklustre displays in the EUROs,” he said in an exclusive interview.

Erling Haaland has been brilliant for Man City this season, and Stan Collymore believes it was because he was allowed to rest over the summer.

“There is a reason Erling Haaland looks like a beast compared to other big-name strikers. He’s 100 per cent fit and fresh after having the summer off following Norway’s failure to qualify for the EUROs.

“If players are going to be expected to compete across multiple competitions, both domestically and internationally, then surely it’s time we thought about bringing in an appearance cap. I recommend a 50 appearance cap per player, per season, and then let the player decide how we wants to split his allowance.”

More Stories / Latest News

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

Sep 9 2024, 22:18

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Sep 9 2024, 22:03

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Sep 9 2024, 21:41

It would certainly need a sea change in attitude from the various authorities, but the idea isn’t perhaps as avant-garde as it seems.

Indeed, it would appear to be a perfectly sensible option that not only ensures a player’s longevity in the game – rather than burn out – but would help to provide a more appealing product for supporters, because will still be in peak fitness at all stages of the season.

The post Exclusive: Stan Collymore’s ingenious plan to ensure Premier League players remain in peak condition appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer news: Why Eze stayed at Palace, Fabio Vieira needs time and more

Fabrizio Romano — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 18:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

—

Simple reason why Eze stayed at Crystal Palace

I want to clear up any confusion regarding Eberechi Eze, guys, as the England international didn’t leave Crystal Palace this summer.

There was a release clause in his contract with the Eagles, so the situation this summer was never about whether the club would have accepted or declined offers for Eze or not.

If any club had come in and paid the release clause, there was nothing Palace could’ve done about it and the decision to move would’ve rested with Eze himself.

No club did trigger the release clause and there were no concrete contacts so in the end, that was the reason he remained at Selhurst Park.

Man City for sure had him on their list in 2023, and it’s true that Tottenham appreciate him, but there was never any formal bid presented from either club or any other this summer.

As Steve Parish said, everything was quiet.

Time for Fabio Vieira to return to playing regular football

The situation with Fabio Vieira is also a simple one to understand.

Firstly, it’s time for him to return to playing regular football every week, which is the expectation with the loan to Porto, and something he hasn’t been able to achieve to this point with Arsenal.

The loan deal will also allow Arsenal to monitor his progress over the course of the 2024/25 season and then assess things again in 2025.

At that point there will need to be a conversation between Mikel Arteta, the player and his representatives.

By then, the attacking midfielder will be 25 years of age and a definitive decision about his career one way or the other will need to be made.

I can guarantee that no plans are in place at the moment and no final decision has been made for Fabio Vieira.

This is why the move is a straight loan.

Nothing concrete to report on Angel Gomes’ situation

Many clubs are following and scouting Angel Gomes, but in this moment there’s nothing concrete or specific to report.

Any ‘interest’ mentioned now would be guesswork and as you know guys, I don’t work in this way.

It’s just normal monitoring of a very good player, who has just made the England squad after impressing at Lille.

England coach, Lee Carsley, has clearly seen something that he likes, and with fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland coming up in the next few days, it does offer Gomes the perfect opportunity to be able to show how much he’s improved of late.

At 24, the former Manchester United player looks to be on the verge of a special moment in his career.

No Messi or Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or nominee list

The full list of this year’s Ballon d’Or nominees have now been released, and it’s the first time since 2003 that both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not in the final 30 names.

It’s almost the end of a spectacular era for the game but both players will be remembered forever. As much for the joy they’ve brought to so many fans as well as the multiple awards that each have won.

I won’t comment on my favourite candidate for this year’s award, but in general I think it was a fair list.

It’s almost an impossible job to narrow down the names and I’d have probably added Rodrygo, Xavi Simons and Frimpong. Rodrygo has even gone on social media already to show his feelings about his omission.

There are some big names in the final 30:

Jude Bellingham, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez, Erling Haaland, Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka, Artem Dovbyk, Toni Kroos, Vinicius Jr., Dani Olmo, Florian Wirtz, Martin Ødegaard, Mats Hummels, Rodri, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Vitinha, Cole Palmer, Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal, Bukayo Saka, Hakan Calhanoglu, William Saliba, Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Ademola Lookman, Toni Rudiger and Alejandro Grimaldo.

The post Transfer news: Why Eze stayed at Palace, Fabio Vieira needs time and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“I’d have probably added…” – Fabrizio Romano names three glaring Ballon d’Or omissions

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 07:45:48 +0000

It’s that time of year when the nominations for the Ballon d’Or are announced, and this year saw a real shock.

For the first time since 2003 – twenty one years ago – neither Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi found themselves in the final 30 names.

It was the first real sign that the two giants of the modern game are slowly easing towards their respective retirements, but it does open up the opportunity for others to lay their hands on the golden ball.

No Messi or Ronaldo in Ballon d’Or final 30

As ever, the list of names will be dissected and pored over with a multitude of differing opinions as to who is more deserving.

Should a European Cup win or a title with your international team count for anything? Perhaps a record breaking season in terms of goals scored puts a player at the top of the list?

Now that the list is out, the 30 names are there to choose from, and Fabrizio Romano believes that there’s three glaring omissions from the final list.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not in the Ballon d’Or final 30 for the first time since 2003

“I won’t comment on my favourite candidate for this year’s award, but in general I think it was a fair list,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“It’s almost an impossible job to narrow down the names and I’d have probably added Rodrygo, Xavi Simons and Frimpong.

“Rodrygo has even gone on social media already to show his feelings about his omission.

There are some big names in the final 30: Jude Bellingham, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez, Erling Haaland, Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka, Artem Dovbyk, Toni Kroos, Vinicius Jr., Dani Olmo, Florian Wirtz, Martin Odegaard, Mats Hummels, Rodri, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Vitinha, Cole Palmer, Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal, Bukayo Saka, Hakan Calhanoglu, William Saliba, Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Ademola Lookman, Toni Rudiger and Alejandro Grimaldo.”

The gala for the awards, which will also include the naming of Coach of the Year, Team of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and winner of the Kopa Trophy, will take place in October.

The post “I’d have probably added…” – Fabrizio Romano names three glaring Ballon d’Or omissions appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man United fans will love what new signing said about the “legendary” club

Darren Looney — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:03:44 +0000

New Man United signing Manuel Ugarte has stated the wait to join the Premier League club was worth it as it is a “dream come true” to play for the “legendary” English club.

The Uruguayan was Erik ten Hag’s top target when it came to adding to his midfield options this summer and after weeks of trying to get the best deal, the Red Devils secured the 23-year-old’s signature last week as part of a transfer worth up to £50.5m with Paris Saint-Germain.

Ugarte left the Ligue 1 champions after just one season to pen a five-year contract at Old Trafford with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

The midfielder could not be registered in time to play Liverpool last weekend but will hope to make his debut for the Manchester club after the international break as United travel to Southampton needing a win.

Speaking about the wait to join Man United, Ugarte has stated that it was worth it as it is a “dream come through” for him to play for the Premier League giants.

“This club, this stadium… legendary,” the new United man said via Fabrizio Romano. “We all know what a massive club United is, one of the best teams in the world.

“It’s a dream come true to join United. I’m really happy because it’s been a very long process!”.

Manuel Ugarte joined Man United from PSG last week

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium

Major boost for Tottenham: Arsenal star limps off during international duty just days before North London Derby

Man United are in need of Manuel Ugarte’s services

Sunday’s match against Liverpool highlighted once again Man United’s need for a new number six as Casemiro put in a shocking display in the 3-0 defeat to the Merseyside club.

The Uruguayan will bring a bit of aggression to Ten Hag’s midfield and will be very useful off the ball. When Man United have possession, the Dutch coach needs to be careful how he uses the 23-year-old as he is not great at building out from the back. This job should be left for Kobbie Mainoo, which will leave Ugarte to do what he is best at.

The former PSG star will be a welcome addition for the Old Trafford faithful and they will have loved hearing the words from their new signing about how much he wanted to join their club.

The post Man United fans will love what new signing said about the “legendary” club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Al Ittihad closing in on signing three-time Ligue 1 winner from PSG

Andrew Walker — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 09:24:24 +0000

The Saudi Pro League transfer window is still open, and according to recent reports, Al Ittihad are closing in on signing Paris Saint-Germain full-back Danilo Pereira.

That’s according to leading transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist Fabrizio Romano, who claims the Pro League club are in ‘advanced negotiations’ to sign the 32-year-old defender.

Al Ittihad closing on Danilo signing

Hoping to finalise the deal before Monday night’s deadline, Laurent Blanc’s side are pushing to make the Portugal international the Pro League’s latest big named signing.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: Man City’s Erling Haaland bullies Austrian defender before scoring late winner

Video: Ousmane Dembele with a superb goal to double France’s lead against Belgium