Thiago Motta – CaughtOffside

Liverpool one of eight clubs who could hold key to Juve’s bid for Teun Koopmeiners

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 06:57:03 +0000

It seems to have been clear for a while now that Thiago Motta’s priority signing for Juventus is Atalanta’s brilliant Dutch midfielder, Teun Koopmeiners.

Football Italia are just one of many outlets to detail the possibility of any deal occurring, though with pre-season already having begun for most European teams, the Bianconeri still haven’t landed the 26-year-old.

The reason for that is simple. Juve can’t afford the player unless they sell other players first, and they’re having difficulties in doing so.

Teun Koopmeiners going nowhere at present

According to Tuttosport, the Serie A giants are trying to offload Matias Soule, and both West Ham and Leicester City have made bids for the young Argentine talent.

However, their €25m (+€5m in add-ons) bids, identical to Roma’s which is the player’s preference as to a new playing destination, all fall well short of Juve’s €35m asking price.

It would appear to be the same story as far as Dean Huijsen is concerned.

Teun Koopmeiners is wanted by Juventus

Tuttosport note that there are eight clubs interested in the 19-year-old centre-back; Liverpool, Newcastle, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart.

Not one of them are willing to meet Juve’s €30m asking price, which puts the Koopmeiners deal in danger of collapsing.

It’s understood that Serie A’s ‘Old Lady’ have agreed personal terms with Koopmeiners, but the deal is destined to fail unless they perhaps consider lowering their demands.

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What Juve don’t want to happen is for the player to be holding out in the hope they come calling again, but then gets to the point where he doesn’t believe the transfer will happen and so pulls the plug on the deal himself.

Therefore, the ball is very much in Juve’s court, with Liverpool one of those clubs that can unlock the current impasse.

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West Ham talking with Juventus over highly-rated star as Leicester make formal offer

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:00:07 +0000

West Ham are certainly keeping themselves busy in this summer’s transfer market, with not a day going by where the East Londoners aren’t linked with another player.

Clearly, technical director, Tim Steidten, is determined to help land the players that Julen Lopetegui wants in order to have the Hammers up there challenging for honours at the business end of the season.

It’s bound to be a different looking West Ham side too, even if the majority of personnel will remain.

West Ham and Leicester in fight for Juve’s Soule

That’s because the Spaniard prefers a high-pressing, front-foot attacking game, rather than the pragmatic, defensive style of his predecessor, David Moyes.

There will be new faces of course, and one of those could be highly-rated Argentinian, Matias Soule.

The 21-year-old remains a Juventus player though he did spend a season on loan at Frosinone in 2023/24, and Gazzetta dello Sport report that the two clubs remain in discussions over the transfer of the player.

Matias Soule to West Ham or Leicester City?

In 36 Serie A games last season, Soule plundered 11 goals and three assists (WhoScored), so it’s blindingly obvious why the East Londoners want to sign him.

However, they could be beaten to the punch by Leicester City.

That’s because Gazzetta dello Sport also note that the Foxes have already gone as far as placing their opening bid for the player.

The Midlands-based side have offered €25m as well as €5m in add-ons, but the Bianconeri have turned that down as they want a guaranteed €30m.

Given that Leicester’s offer isn’t too far away from that, West Ham will need to get their skates on if they want Soule to be wearing the claret and blue next season.

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Exclusive: Still a slight chance that Dortmund could sign Jadon Sancho

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:12 +0000

Jadon Sancho will leave Manchester United this summer, that much is clear, however, what remains unknown is his future destination.

After enjoying a brilliant half-season at Borussia Dortmund it was thought that he would be making his loan move to the Bundesliga side a permanent one.

With the Red Devils keen to maximise any transfer fee on the player, Dortmund have taken a step back according to German football expert, Christian Falk.

Man United ace Jadon Sancho could still have a future at Dortmund

“Borussia Dortmund are out of the Jadon Sancho race because they can’t afford him. They just don’t have the money so have had to step back,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

There is, however, a potential route back to Signal Iduna Park for the former England international.

Sancho is believed to be open to the overtures from Juventus, but it’s understood that the Bianconeri need to sell before they can buy.

Man United’s Jadon Sancho could still end up at Dortmund

In the eventuality that they can’t get the players off their books that are needed to balance the club’s coffers, a stay in the Bundesliga isn’t out of the question.

“If Juventus can’t sign Sancho Dortmund would be still interested, but they can’t pay his transfer fee at this moment,” Falk added

So, it would appear to be a high stakes waiting game to see how this game of poker eventually pans out.

From United’s point of view, the sooner that any deal can be done the better, as the funds secured from Sancho’s sale would allow them to enter the transfer market to an even greater degree than they have already.

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Liverpool circling for world class international free agent midfielder

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:34:33 +0000

With the transfer window now open for business, it will be interesting to see how Liverpool approach things this summer.

Arne Slot has some big shoes to fill at Anfield after the departure of Jurgen Klopp, and the relative success of his transfer business will arguably author his first few months in the job.

Whilst a revolution shouldn’t be on the cards, there are one or two areas where the Reds could certainly improve.

In midfield for example, Liverpool have looked quite lightweight at times, and an aggressive player stationed centrally has to be a priority for the new man in charge.

That would perhaps explain their interest in Adrien Rabiot, detailed by Calciomercato.

The French international, currently playing with his national team at the European Championship, is now, technically, without a club because his previous Juventus contract has run out.

Liverpool want Adrien Rabiot

The Bianconeri have put a new one on the table for the 29-year-old, however, it remains unsigned at the time of writing.

All the while the status quo remains the same, it will encourage other clubs that there’s a chance of doing a deal, and AC Milan are also circling alongside the Reds as they look to take advantage of the situation.

Adrien Rabiot to Manchester United or Arsenal?

If Rabiot is intending to stay with Juventus, then it’s in his best interests to clear up the situation immediately. If the opposite is true, let the bidding commence.

The player’s skill set is well known and there are many facets to his game that should make him an ideal hire for Slot.

Now is the time for Liverpool to make their pitch and hope that they can prise him from his current Italian sojourn.

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Transfer news: De Ligt Man United contact, Calafiori Arsenal, Liverpool winger pursuit & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 15:30:00 +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 transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Manchester United make contact over Matthijs de Ligt transfer

Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United could be one to watch this summer as we know they’ve been exploring the market for centre-backs. There’s now been contact between Man United and De Ligt’s representatives, but we may have to wait a bit longer for something more concrete to happen.

At the moment De Ligt doesn’t want any distraction during the Euros, but for sure Man United made contact with his agent to understand the situation. United are considering a move – nothing is decided yet but he’s one of the names on their list. There’s still no proposal from United or any other club.

Jarrad Branthwaite remains on the list at United too, but the £70m fee required by Everton is still considered too expensive. Let’s see if De Ligt can be signed on more favourable terms, or if they consider other alternatives in that position as well.

Staying with Bayern, the deal for Joao Palhinha seems to be dragging on, and though there is no official deadline for this, it’s clear that Bayern won’t go on negotiating for three months. Still, talks continue for Palhinha, Bayern remain confident and 100% focused on the Fulham midfielder, while Palhinha himself also wants the move.

Anthony Gordon and more Newcastle transfer updates

Newcastle started having some conversations regarding Anthony Gordon, but the only way for him to leave for Liverpool is for the asking price to drop in a considerable way. Liverpool really like the player, but they are not going to pay what Newcastle are currently demanding for Gordon, so the feeling is that this story is unlikely for the next 24 hours, for the Financial Fair Play deadline for English clubs.

The only way is for a crazy proposal from Liverpool and at the moment they are not considering paying that money, so it’s really complicated. It was an opportunity discussed due to Newcastle’s financial situation, but that’s it – it was never close or advanced as there was big gap on valuation. It’s also important to say that Newcastle have now sold Yankuba Minteh and Elliott Anderson so the story is over for now, Liverpool keep appreciating Gordon but not moving forward as of now.

Another big name at Newcastle who’s made the headlines is Alexander Isak, but nothing is happening with Chelsea. We know that Chelsea appreciate this talented striker, but it’s almost impossible because Newcastle want to keep him, and I’ve been told that Eddie Howe, over the weekend, was very clear with the Newcastle board and owners about not wanting Isak to leave the club.

For Newcastle to sell, it would have taken a Premier League record fee, so more than £120m, and Chelsea were never going to pay that money. The only way it could have happened was with a swap deal, but now nothing is happening and it’s really quiet as of today.

Some fans have asked me about the possibility of Nicolas Jackson being included in a swap deal for Isak, but what I’m hearing is that Jackson is considered a really important player for Chelsea. They trust him and believe he’s going to perform very well under Enzo Maresca next season, and that his value is going to go up. Chelsea absolutely trust Jackson and think he’s going to be a key player next season, and also on the player side, Jackson is very happy at Chelsea, so everything is quiet on this one.

Chelsea still negotiating Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall transfer

Chelsea’s negotiations with Leicester City for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are still ongoing. We know Chelsea were able to make a call and make the deal collapse between Brighton and Leicester City – the deal fell through because Dewsbury-Hall decided not to join Brighton and to wait for Chelsea.

So now the player has given the green light to Chelsea and he’s delaying his holidays to see what will happen. Still, he’s being respectful to Leicester as well and he’s not desperate to leave the club, but if Leicester decide to sell to Chelsea, then the player will be open to making the move. Personal terms would not be a problem, and the relationship between Chelsea and Dewsbury-Hall’s agent is very good, so now we’re just waiting on the club-to-club negotiations.

Chelsea want to include players in the deal, so let’s see if they can find the right structure for the deal, but one important detail to clarify is that this is not a player Maresca has requested to the directors or the owners. This deal starts with the Chelsea recruitment team. They saw Dewsbury-Hall as a very good opportunity on the market, and then they got the green light from Maresca in the second phase of the story. Maresca obviously knows the player well as they were together at Leicester, and so he gave his approval, but it was not starting with the manager, it’s always starting with the recruitment team – this is the policy, this is the strategy at Chelsea.

Arsenal keeping an eye on Riccardo Calafiori transfer situation as Juventus deal looks complicated

Riccardo Calafiori’s future could now be one to watch as the Euros are over for the Italian national team after a surprise defeat to Switzerland yesterday. In May and the beginning of June, Bologna were hoping for Calafiori to stay at the club, while back in February/March, Calafiori was giving his preference to Juventus, and my understanding is that his preference remains Juventus. He would love to play for Juve and also for Thiago Motta, who was his manager at Bologna last season.

However, as always mentioned, the relationship between Bologna and Juve is complicated – this is because of the Thiago Motta situation. Still, Juventus are still there for Calafiori, there is an agreement with the player, and it’s just Bologna are making life difficult for Juve. Now that Italy are out of the Euros, Bologna expect Premier League clubs to jump into the race for the defender’s signature.

In other news…

Archie Gray – Brentford are now the clear favourites to sign Archie Gray from Leeds. There were also links with Arsenal, Liverpool and many others but it was never anything concrete. I’m told Borussia Dortmund were really keen on Gray, and Tottenham too. There’s no hijack so far but the situation remains open until he officially signs, even if Brentford are now the favourites.

Reiss Nelson – The Arsenal winger could be one to watch this summer as outgoings will be important as well as signings this summer. For now Arsenal are not in a rush to bring in new players as it will depend on the right opportunities, but they could be open to some sales, with Nelson someone to keep an eye on.

Tammy Abraham – Nothing is advanced yet on Tammy Abraham’s future, despite links with AC Milan. Still, I expect the former Chelsea striker to leave Roma and it could be for another club in Italy, or for a return to England. At the moment it is quiet, but for sure there will be movement.

The post Transfer news: De Ligt Man United contact, Calafiori Arsenal, Liverpool winger pursuit & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer expert details West Ham’s concrete interest in incredible Argentine talent

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 06:16:52 +0000

If West Ham are going to improve on what they did under David Moyes and potentially get into the Champions League under Julen Lopetegui, then it’s clear that they need to upgrade certain areas of their squad.

Technical director, Tim Steidten, appears to have been working overtime in the South American market to get high quality exponents for a reasonable price, whilst also being across any other deals which make financial sense.

Given Lopetegui’s pedigree – Real Madrid and the Spanish national team to name just two managerial posts he’s held – it’s no wonder that Hammers fans might be getting excited by the prospect of having him in charge.

West Ham eyeing Matias Soule

However, there’s always been a feeling with West Ham that the club take two steps forward and one back.

The Champions League is what they aspire to, but their operation is often of a lower calibre. One only has to see how many times they’ve lowballed clubs with transfer offers when trying to secure players to indicate where their priorities lay.

Perhaps all that is about to change, and certainly a rumoured move for Argentinian starlet, Matias Soule, would help propel them forward.

??? Understand West Ham are among clubs showing concrete interest in Matias Soulé.

Argentine winger could leave Juventus an case of important proposal this summer, all options are still open.

West Ham have been monitoring Soulé progress in Serie A this year. pic.twitter.com/p3prY1SDSw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2024

CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, has detailed that the East Londoners have a concrete interest in the Juventus player who plundered 11 goals and provided three assists for Frosinone on loan last season, per WhoScored.

At just 21 years of age, there’s plenty more to come from him, and if Steidten can negotiate a reasonable deal for the player, it would surely prove to be a real coup for the club.

There’s no indication on sale price as yet, albeit Romano notes that Soule could move on if an important proposal is received.

The post Transfer expert details West Ham’s concrete interest in incredible Argentine talent appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz set to move to Juventus in sensational swap deal

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 19:40:03 +0000

Aston Villa’s brilliant midfielder, Douglas Luiz, has long been coveted by some of the Premier League’s biggest and best clubs, with the greatest respect to the Midlands-based outfit.

To date, Unai Emery and Monchi had appeared to be able to rebuff all offers for the 26-year-old, however, a situation has arisen which the Villa manager and president of football operations clearly believe is for the benefit of the Villains.

Given that Villa have secured Champions League football for the first time ever in its current iteration, and first time since the early 1980s when the competition was branded as the European Cup, it’s clear that they will need a strong squad to get through a domestic and European campaign.

Douglas Luiz to Juve?

They only need look at how Newcastle United fared last season as a recent example of how hopes and dreams in both competitions can be destroyed through injuries.

Perhaps that’s why it now appears likely that Luiz will be making his way to Italian giants, Juventus.

????? Juventus manager Thiago Motta has given green light to Douglas Luiz swap deal.

Juventus and Aston Villa are more than close to final agreement!

?? Weston McKennie, Samuel Iling Jr. and €20m fee to #AVFC as revealed.

?? Personal terms for all players, now discussed. pic.twitter.com/vFqxtZggo8

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 11, 2024

According to CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, posting on X (formerly known as Twitter), a deal is close for Weston McKennie, Samuel Iling-Junior and €20m to come the opposite way in exchange for the Brazilian.

It’s a sensational swap deal and both clubs will likely believe that they have got the better end of the deal.

If it works for both parties, it’s a win-win, and could be just the spark that Villa need after their stuttering end to the 2023/24 season.

They failed to win any of their last six games in all competitions according to WhoScored, with the campaign ending in an incredibly disappointing 5-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

With some fresh faces about the place, it might be just the impetus that Emery needs to get his side to kick on once more.

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Transfer news: Next Chelsea manager, De Zerbi Man United links, Arsenal midfielder to leave & more

Fabrizio Romano — Thu, 23 May 2024 16:02:00 +0000

Truth about Kompany to Chelsea links and the main names in contention to replace Pochettino

Vincent Kompany has had two direct calls with Bayern Munich – he’s keen on the job and excited by this possibility. So now it depends on all the directors at Bayern deciding to proceed together. As things stand, they are tempted and consider Kompany one of the most talented managers in the industry, but it needs the green light from everyone on the board.

Kompany is super keen on the job and he’s just waiting for Bayern now, with conversations ongoing, but I can also say that Chelsea never made contact with the Belgian tactician. There were some rumours about this after the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, but they never started conversations with Kompany.

Chelsea also haven’t made contact with Sergio Conceicao – they are still in the process of deciding their next manager, so despite reports there is nothing concrete going on with Conceicao at the time of writing. They also never made contact with Antonio Conte, this was never an option, despite some rumours that he offered himself to Chelsea – Conte doesn’t have to offer himself to anyone, and he’s not been talking to Chelsea.

Other former managers being linked are Jose Mourinho and Thomas Tuchel, but again it’s all quiet. Tuchel never spoke to Chelsea in recent days or weeks, and Chelsea never contacted him. What we know is that Tuchel would be super keen to return to England, and Manchester United could be an attractive destination for him in case they call, but there is nothing with Chelsea.

Hansi Flick is another name being linked with Chelsea, but again they haven’t reached out to him. Flick is one of the names on the list at Barcelona in case Xavi leaves, but the meeting with Joan Laporta still hasn’t happened yet. So, who are the names in contention for the Chelsea job?

One of the names I’m hearing about is Sebastian Hoeness at Stuttgart – a very talented coach who is highly rated at Chelsea and regarded by some as someone who’s going to be one of the next big managers. But, he already said to Bayern as his intention remains to continue at Stuttgart, so it’s not easy but Chelsea really appreciate him.

Thomas Frank has been mentioned internally at Chelsea, and this comes after they just hired the set piece coach from Brentford, so that’s a very good relationship. Another name to mention is Kieran McKenna after he did an excellent job at Ipswich Town and my understanding is that he’s not negotiating a new deal with Ipswich because his priority is to wait for a different club. McKenna has had conversations with several clubs, including Brighton, now let’s see if Chelsea reach out to him as he’s being discussed internally.

Is De Zerbi really dreaming of the Manchester United job?

I’ve had many questions on Erik ten Hag and my understanding is that the internal process to decide his future at Manchester United is still ongoing, but as I keep saying, the situation is really open. It’s not just about winning the FA Cup final on Saturday – it’s about seeing the performance and the attitude of the squad, and there is absolutely the possibility that we’ll see Ten Hag fired by Man United.

As of now, it’s absolutely open and there is a 50-50 possibility to see Ten Hag leaving Old Trafford, and it’s normal that new owners can consider to appoint their “own” manager, but internal talks are still ongoing. But what about some of the names being linked as potential replacements for United?

Mauricio Pochettino is now available and my understanding is that he’s really open to new possibilities. He feels he has the energy to go for a new job, he’s not tired after the last season at Chelsea – he’s not taking a break like Jurgen Klopp, he’s ready to continue and return as soon as possible. So keep an eye on Pochettino because he’s absolutely open to a new job, including with clubs in England. Still, despite reports of Pochettino being appreciated by INEOS, there is nothing to say about Manchester United now for Pochettino.

It’s also important to say that, at this stage, Chelsea are not talking to Roberto de Zerbi. He’s another name we see in the media a lot, but at the moment it’s completely quiet. We’ve also seen him linked as dreaming of the Man United job, but my understanding is that he would love to work in Premier League again, even if it’s not about a specific club, he would just love to continue in the Premier League. He’s really open, even possibilities in other countries could attract De Zerbi for sure. He’s really keen on re-starting as soon as he finds a good project.

Arsenal want new Arteta contract ASAP, plus Lokonga likely to leave

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has only one year left on his contract, but the club consider him an absolutely crucial piece of their project, so they want to extend his contract as soon as possible.

The expectation is for Arsenal to advance on Arteta’s new contract soon. Negotiations will be in the next weeks, potentially months, but both parties are very happy together and I expect Arteta to continue at Arsenal because he’s very happy at the club.

Also on Arsenal, we’ve heard Albert Sambi Lokonga speaking publicly about his future and saying he doesn’t expect to stay at the Emirates Stadium. My understanding is that Arsenal are open to both loan or permanent deal proposals, based on the fee or the player’s preference – that will also be important. Lokonga is expected to leave again because Arsenal want to bring in a new midfielder and they’ve already got many players in that position.

Tottenham linked with Toney as Postecoglou eyes attacking signings

Ivan Toney to Spurs?

Ange Postecoglou has spoken publicly about wanting to bring new attacking players to Tottenham, but it’s still early to name specific names so I don’t have these for now.

There are many names under consideration, so we will be clear in the next weeks. An important first step will also be to decide on Timo Werner, then all the other options. Tottenham will take their time for these kind of deals, but for sure there’s interest in bringing in one or two offensive players.

Ivan Toney is one name I’ve been asked about with Tottenham, after months of links with other clubs as well. It remains a strong possibility for Toney to leave Brentford if top clubs arrive with proposals. He’s an option for several clubs, again Tottenham still have to decide what kind of player they want to bring in, same for Man United… but for sure, there’s a good chance for Toney to leave Brentford for a new club this summer.

Thiago Motta says yes to Juventus job

Thiago Motta has said yes to the Juventus project after a long time of Juve deciding he was the only candidate they wanted to replace Massimiliano Allegri. He looks set to join on a three-year contract worth a little less than €5m net per season.

So, everything is set between Motta and Juventus, the only thing that’s missing is a meeting between Motta and Bologna. He wants to respect Bologna after doing something fantastic there to get the club back into the Champions League after 50 years, so he wants to communicate with them before he signs the contracts, even if the contracts with Juventus are already prepared.

Everything is in place for Motta to leave Bologna for Juventus, as expected, and it’s now just about signing the contracts.

The post Transfer news: Next Chelsea manager, De Zerbi Man United links, Arsenal midfielder to leave & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Klopp’s legacy, Laporta’s anger, Tuchel’s desire and more

Fabrizio Romano — Sat, 18 May 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

—

Klopp has been extraordinary for Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp spoke about VAR in his press conference and I replied to a similar question about it two days ago. I agree that yes the problem is how they manage it, not the VAR itself. I’m actually in favour of VAR, but how they use it is a problem sometimes.

To be honest, no words I say will do justice for Klopp at Liverpool. He’s been just extraordinary, a living legend for the club. The level of appreciation from every single player is the best way to understand how special he’s been and he will be missed.

Laporta furious with Xavi and could wield the axe

It’s been an incredible, incredible story at Barcelona over the last 24 hours. Something really strange already happened as the president, Joan Laporta, and the sporting director, Deco, didn’t travel with the team to Almeria.

Why? Because Laporta was really furious with Xavi for several reasons, but two reasons above all. The first is that the president was not expecting Xavi to go public in the pre-match press conference and say that it’s really difficult to do important things in this moment, because of the financial situation at the club. Laporta was always expecting Xavi to support the club and to keep things private.

Secondly, Laporta and other people at the club didn’t appreciate Xavi saying that the original plan was to bring Vitor Roque to the club in the summer rather than in January. That it was Xavi who wanted to do the deal earlier.

And now, Vitor Roque’s representatives are also angry at the lack of game time and how Xavi is handling that situation. Barcelona trust the player because they invested €31m guaranteed and more than €30m more in potential add-ons.

This is a really, really complicated situation at the club, and so let me say that there is a chance that Xavi and Barça will part ways.

Laporta and Xavi will speak to each other soon and we will understand what’s gonna happen. The situation is really tense between them. Laporta isn’t happy, but he hasn’t informed Xavi of any imminent decision yet. This is why their conversation will be crucial to understand Xavi’s future.

Let’s see how it’s going to develop in the next hours.

Allegri sacked by Juve, Thiago Motta wanted

Meanwhile, Juventus have sacked Massimiliano Allegri for his behaviour during and after the Coppa Italia Final against Atalanta. He will therefore be available this summer.

Allegri allegedly had a verbal fight with a journalist and the Bianconeri released a statement on Friday.

There have been suggestions of legal action because of this, but guys I have zero clue of what’s happening about threats, being prosecuted… this is legal stuff, I have zero idea really.

What I know on football side is that Juve were really furious with that behaviour by Allegri and this was a key reason to part ways immediately. In any case Allegri was going to be sacked in June. No doubts.

Juventus want Thiago Motta and are in advanced talks with him. The club have sent him a contract proposal for a three-year deal after his incredible job to get Bologna into the Champions League.

So, congratulations to Thiago Motta, and he now has to decide whether he wants to continue at Bologna and play Champions League football there or if he wants to move on and join Juventus and take advantage of this big opportunity.

Thomas Tuchel open to a Premier League move this summer

Thomas Tuchel has gone public and confirmed that he had negotiations and talks with Bayern regarding his power in the summer transfer window. For both to decide together on specific positions and which players can be brought in.

He wanted the full support of the supervisory board, including Rummenigge, because he didn’t want to have any internal problems – and then he also wanted a contract extension.

So, three crucial factors.

However, they couldn’t reach an agreement so Tuchel is leaving Bayern with immediate effect, and from what I’m hearing he is open to working again immediately this summer.

Tuchel is open to working in any country, especially England as he’d love to return to the Premier League. At the moment it’s still quiet, but let’s see if he will find the right opportunity. Bayern will now discuss new candidates internally.

No problem with Tottenham for Ange

The relationship between Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham is very good despite what he’s been saying in recent press conferences.

He just wants some changes in the squad this summer and it will happen, but he’s not in a difficult relationship with the club… he just wants to build a winning mentality.

Nothing negative at all.

Zirkzee remains a priority target for AC Milan

Regardless of whether Arsenal want Joshua Zirkzee, he’s a priority target for AC Milan and they’ll keep pushing to find a way to sign him. Talks took place and will continue, while Juventus also called weeks ago to be informed on Zirkzee.

I’m not aware of anything else in this moment, so let’s see if English clubs will enter the race.

The post Exclusive: Klopp’s legacy, Laporta’s anger, Tuchel’s desire and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Juventus in advanced talks with Thiago Motta after Allegri sacking according to transfer expert

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 18 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The incredible scene of now former Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri, throwing off his suit jacket, then taking off his tie and beginning to unbutton his shirt in a fit of rage during the Coppa Italia Final will have been beamed into homes around the world.

Such a public meltdown was only ever going to end one way, and it’s no surprise that soon after the Bianconeri emerged triumphant thanks to Dusan Vlahovic’s winner, Allegri was sacked by the club.

His was an astonishing outburst, even by his standards, given Allegri has been known in the past to be a bit of a hot head.

Allegri will find it hard to work elsewhere after outburst

At a club as big and historic as Juve that’s simply not the way to behave, and not the example the club will have expected the manager to set to his players.

“Allegri allegedly had a verbal fight with a journalist and the Bianconeri released a statement on Friday,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“There have been suggestions of legal action because of this, but guys I have zero clue of what’s happening about threats, being prosecuted… this is legal stuff, I have zero idea really.

“What I know on football side is that Juve were really furious with that behaviour by Allegri and this was a key reason to part ways immediately. In any case Allegri was going to be sacked in June. No doubts.

Juventus’ Italian coach Massimiliano Allegri leaves the pitch after being sent off during the Italian Cup Final

“Juventus want Thiago Motta and are in advanced talks with him. The club have sent him a contract proposal for a three-year deal after his incredible job to get Bologna into the Champions League.”

Although Allegri will now be available, it’s difficult to see how any club, certainly one of the more storied Italian or European outfits, would consider the 56-year-old as the right type of character for them.

From Thiago Motta’s point of view, he’s got the biggest decision of his career to make.

It’s clear that managing Juve is an honour that very few are able to achieve, and from a personal perspective, the pride he is likely to feel is obvious.

However, his special affinity with Bologna has to count for something.

Taking the club to the Champions League for the first time in their history only to then bail out on them ahead of the new season would tarnish his legacy there.

Motta is still a young manager and would have plenty of time to manage the Old Lady in future.

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