The post Arsenal could be without three players for Burnley game appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Arsenal are awaiting news on the injury front with three potential players unavailable as they prepare to face Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal injury news
In their recent UEFA Champions League match against Sevilla, Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka. However, Saka picked up a knock and had to be substituted in the second half, casting doubt on his availability for Saturday’s game, as Gunners’ manager Mikel Arteta confirmed in his press conference that he didn’t train on Thursday.
Defender Takehrio Tomiyasu was also withdrawn during the Sevilla match, coming off at half-time due to a minor fitness concern.
Additionally, striker Eddie Nketiah missed the midweek game due to an ankle injury sustained against Newcastle United last weekend, leading to Leandro Trossard taking his place. Arsenal supporters may now be worried by the potential unavailability of all three players for the upcoming Saturday fixture.
Burnley injury news
For Burnley, Hjalmar Ekdal recently returned from a knee injury and featured in an Under-21s game against Sheffield United last week. He wasn’t the only player making a comeback; winger Manuel Benson also saw his first minutes on the pitch since the end of September.
Aaron Ramsey is expected to continue being sidelined, while Michael Obafemi is still working on his recovery from a long-term hamstring injury.
A win for the Gunners on Saturday would result in them joining Manchester City on 27 points before Pep Guardiola’s men kick-off against Chelsea on Sunday.
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]]>The post “I absolutely do not get it”- Peter Schmeichel slams Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta after recent decision appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>He was fearless as a goalkeeper, and as a pundit Peter Schmeichel often goes where others fear to tread, with Mikel Arteta the latest to feel his wrath.
The towering Dane clearly isn’t interested in sitting on the fence when offering an opinion, and that’s precisely what a good pundit should do.
Having been there and done it in his own playing career, Schmeichel is more than qualified to critique those who are currently playing the game or managing in it.
Arteta has done remarkably well since taking over at Arsenal, but there’s one recent decision that he’s made which hasn’t gone down well at all with the former Man United custodian.
“I absolutely do not get it. I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it’s a great thing to have competition for the No 1 shirt,” he said on Radio Five Live (h/t Daily Mail).
“A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.
“You’re now asking your goalkeeper to prove you’re better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It’s the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.
“When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it. What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.”
As a former goalkeeper himself, Schmeichel can perfectly understand how the move for David Raya might affect Aaron Ramsdale.
Whilst it is ostensibly true that having strength in depth in all positions is an absolute need in the modern game, there’s a cogent argument, and one which the Dane has made, that having one No.1 is sufficient.
Though we’re going back some while now, when the England national team rotated the keeper’s jersey between Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence, it rarely worked.
A similar scenario can certainly be predicted at the Gunners, and Arteta could well live to regret his decision.
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]]>The post Transfer news: Rice on choosing Arsenal over City, Kane & Walker to Bayern latest, Lukaku SHOCK & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Good morning and welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe to get this essential transfer news round-up delivered ad-free and straight to your inbox.
Today’s top stories:
- Details on the crazy Lukaku situation
- Rice explains why he chose Arsenal
- Plus more from Man City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich
AC Milan
- AC Milan are prepared to book medical tests for Tijjani Reijnders on Tuesday — deal completed between clubs after AZ accepted €20m plus add ons bid. Everything will be signed and sealed in 2-3 days, Tijjani can’t wait to join Milan as sources close to player confirm.
Arsenal
- Folarin Balogun is in the sights of another big European club – more details here.
- Declan Rice after Arsenal move was finally made official: “Mikel Arteta is a massive factor in the reason why I’ve come here. I’m so excited – he speaks for himself. You see how he works – you also got a real insight into how he works on the Amazon documentary. He’s a top coach.”
- Rice has become the most expensive English player of all time, joining Arsenal in a club-record £100m fee plus £5m in add-ons. He’s signed a contract until 2028 with the option of a further season and will wear the number 41 shirt.
Barcelona
- Franck Kessie remains one of the priority targets for Juventus. The intention is to insist in the next days and try to check if the player would be open to the move. Kessie always wanted to stay at Barcelona or try an experience in the Premier League — Juve will try to push.
Bayern Munich
- Bayern are more than confident on Harry Kane – find out more here.
- Kyle Walker will speak to Pep Guardiola next week as Man City will get back to work. The conversation will be crucial before final decision. Walker gave initial green light to Bayern, there are still details to be clarified; also, no agreement between clubs yet.
- Thomas Tuchel on Kim Min-jae: “We want to replace Hernandez and it’s not a big secret who that should be. I won’t name the name now because that sometimes doesn’t help. We’ll try to announce that in the next few days.”
- Tuchel on Leon Goretzka and Ryan Gravenberch: “They both have contracts with us. Ryan is in the challenger role. He has to get the best out of this role. Leon had an unsatisfactory final phase. With his status, we expect a lot from him. There’s a lot of competition.”
- Tuchel on Sadio Mane: “We’ve a constellation that makes it very difficult for Sadio. The player knows that too. Mane has a contract and wants to stay. And we respect that. But it’s only the first day of training and a lot of things can happen in football.”
Brighton
- Igor is on Brighton list as new left footed centre back as Levi Colwill is still not for sale — now waiting for Brighton to approach Fiorentina soon. Igor has already accepted Brighton and personal terms have been agreed. But there are still steps needed between clubs.
Cardiff City
- Official: Aaron Ramsey has returned to Cardiff City immediately after having his contract terminated by Nice.
Chelsea
- Angelo Gabriel to Chelsea is done – more here.
- Chelsea are not happy with Romelu Lukaku and want him out – more here.
Crystal Palace
- A bid is in for a new midfielder – more here.
Fenerbahce
- Dominik Livakovic to Fenerbahce, here we go! Deal sealed between clubs with Dinamo Zagreb for €9m. Personal terms agreed, just waiting to exchange documents then deal done.
- Dusan Tadic is on his way to Istanbul to finalize his move to Fenerbahce. He wants to continue in Europe despite also receiving a two year deal proposal from Saudi.
Inter Miami
- Lionel Messi to Inter Miami has finally been officially announced.
- David Beckham: “10 years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city. Today that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s calibre is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community.”
Inter Milan
- Romelu Lukaku to Inter is OFF – more details here on this crazy story!
Juventus
- Dusan Vlahovic to PSG or Chelsea? Exclusive info here.
- Will Romelu Lukaku replace Vlahovic? More info here.
- Franck Kessie remains one of the priority targets for Juventus. The intention is to insist in the next days and try to check if the player would be open to the move. Kessie always wanted to stay at Barcelona or try an experience in the Premier League — Juve will try to push.
Liverpool
- Fabinho will not travel to Germany with the Liverpool squad as talks over a move to Al Ittihad are now at an advanced stage, with personal terms agreed – more on that here.
- Jordan Henderson will travel with the squad as he already agreed terms on a three-year deal with Al Ettifaq but the two clubs are not close to reaching an agreement on the fee. The main issue was that the Saudi club were convinced about getting Henderson on a free transfer when they started conversations, but there’s no chance.
- Liverpool are not negotiating for Moises Caicedo despite rumours yesterday — talks are ongoing with Chelsea. Liverpool are looking at other options including Romeo Lavia — but there are also other possibilities now being discussed internally.
Manchester City
- Al Ahli are pushing to get the Riyad Mahrez deal done. Talks have been advancing on player side since June — as he’s prepared to accept Al Ahli bid. But Man City are still waiting to get an official proposal and documents, key stage before booking medical. It will be discussed next week.
- Kyle Walker will speak to Pep Guardiola next week as Man City will get back to work. The conversation will be crucial before final decision. Walker gave initial green light to Bayern, there are still details to be clarified; also, no agreement between clubs yet.
Napoli
- Napoli manager Rudi Garcia: “We know that Kim Min-jae is leaving, we’re sad but I hope to keep all our stars. I can guarantee that Osimhen wants to stay at Napoli. He’s happy here and he wants to do great things.”
Newcastle United
PAOK
- Greek side PAOK have opened talks with CSKA Moscow to sign Jorge Carrascal on a permanent deal. Talks are ongoing for €4.5m plus 50% sell on clause to CSKA — three year deal offered to Carrascal.
PSG
- PSG have had contacts over Dusan Vlahovic – more info here.
RB Leipzig
- Many questions about Benjamin Sesko in the strikers domino… but there’s no chance. Sesko has only just joined RB Leipzig from Salzburg and won’t leave the club, it would take an astronomical bid to change the plans. No talks, no negotiations. No way.
Real Madrid
- Official: Jesus Vallejo has left Real Madrid to join Granada on loan.
Roma
- Gianluca Scamacca or Alvaro Morata to Roma? Latest info here.
Strasbourg
- Abakar Sylla has joined Strasbourg on a club record €20m final fee right after takeover. It’s official, he joins from Club Brugge, who get a 10% sell on clause.
Tottenham
- Harry Kane to Bayern – latest info here.
The post Transfer news: Rice on choosing Arsenal over City, Kane & Walker to Bayern latest, Lukaku SHOCK & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>The post Aaron Ramsey returns to English football as he completes move to boyhood club appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has completed a emotional return to Cardiff City on a two-year deal.
As a Cardiff City fan, Ramsey expressed his desire to help the club reach new heights and return to the top. He acknowledged the club’s highs and lows over the years and aims to contribute to its success.
Expressing his joy upon joining his boyhood club, Ramsey said (via BBC):
“It feels unbelievable to finally be back here. I always thought one day I’d come back, and now it’s the perfect time to do that.”
“To be back with my family and around familiar faces is just brilliant, so I’m delighted to be back here now. I’ve missed that a lot in the last year or so, so it was important for me to be back around them.
“Obviously I’m a Cardiff City fan, and watching them over the years since I’ve been away, we’ve had some low points but some big highs as well, being in the Premier League and representing Cardiff on the big stage.
“That’s a target of mine – to try and help my team-mates and this club to get back to the top.
“I’ve said it many times in the past – I owe so much to Cardiff, to the fans, to everybody who has been at the club when I was here as a young boy coming through.
“For me now to come full circle, to be part of this team now, and hopefully achieve the goals we want, there’s no better feeling than that.”
What perhaps makes the day even more special for Ramsey is that he signs the same day his son signed for their academy.
It’s an unbelievable feeling to be back at home- although I feel as if I never really left. Where ever I went it was always a part of me and now I can’t wait to go out there in the blue shirt again. What makes it even better was my boy also signed for Cardiff academy the same… pic.twitter.com/FaxcRgwvpH
— Aaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) July 15, 2023
Ramsey enjoyed his best time at Arsenal where he made more than 350 appearances and won the FA Cup thrice. He left the club in 2019 and moved to Juventus on a free but struggled to regain his best form.
He was subsequently loaned out to Rangers and later signed for OGC Nice before completing his full-circle return to Cardiff City.
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]]>The post Transfer news: Onana to Man United is imminent, Saudi clubs pushing for Liverpool stars, latest on Lukaku’s future and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Good morning and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe for this round-up, ad-free and straight to your inbox, as well as exclusive columns from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Jonathan Johnson, Christian Falk and Neil Jones!
Today’s top stories:
- Latest developments on Onana, Henderson and Lukaku
- ICYMI – Johnathan Johnson’s column!
AC Milan
- Christian Pulisic is officially a new AC Milan player after completing his move from Chelsea.
- AC Milan have left talks for Wolves’ Adama Traoré. He will not be joining Milan as the club has different priorities.
Al Ettifaq
- Jordan Henderson has accepted Al Ettifaq’s proposal and there’s now a verbal agreement in principle for him to move to Saudi Arabia. The deal now depends on Liverpool and Al Ettifaq agreeing on a fee. There is no chance to let him leave for free as the Saudi club wanted.
Al Nassr
- A FIFA spokesperson released a statement on Thursday to address Al Nassr’s transfer ban situation.
It read: “Al-Nassr is currently prevented from registering new players — this due to outstanding debts”.
“Relevant bans will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debts being confirmed by the creditors concerned”.
Aston Villa
- Aston Villa have made an official bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby which was €35m plus add-ons. Leverkusen have rejected the offer but the negotiations are still ongoing. Diaby wants move to Villa and has already said yes.
Borussia Dortmund
- Soumaila Coulibaly deal has collapsed despite being agreed upon between Burnley and Borussia Dortmund. Medical tests were complete but there were new problems between the clubs regarding the mandatory buy clause.
Brighton and Hove Albion
- Romanian talent Adrian Mazilu has signed with Brighton, it is a done deal. He will join in January 2024 after €3m fee agreed upon.
Cardiff City
- Aaron Ramsey is set to return to Cardiff after an agreement has been reached to sign the midfielder from OGC Nice. Medical tests took place on Thursday and then the contract will be signed.
Chelsea
- Chelsea and Inter will make contact to discuss details of the new €30m bid submitted for Romelu Lukaku. Talks are ongoing between the clubs but the Premier League side believes the offer is “still not at the level wanted” to make the deal happen. Chelsea believe there are two more clubs prepared to enter the race.
- Christian Pulisic has officially joined AC Milan as a new player.
Everton
- Ashley Young has been officially announced as an Everton player. His one-year deal was signed this week.
Fulham
- Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Willian after talks on Thursday but Fulham are still trying to bring him back to the club as talks continue with player’s camp. Both clubs have sent formal proposals to Willian as he’s currently a free agent. His decision is expected soon and it is all down to the player.
Inter Miami
- The official announcement for the signing of Lionel Messi is due soon and then he will be unveiled as a new Inter Miami player.
Inter Milan
- Chelsea and Inter will make contact to discuss details of the new €30m bid submitted for Romelu Lukaku. Talks are ongoing between the clubs. Premier League side believe the offer is “still not at the level wanted” to make the deal happen. Inter hope to get the deal done to avoid any other club’s attempts to sign Romelu as Chelsea believe there are two more clubs prepared to enter the race.
- Manchester United are closing in on signing André Onana after the final verbal proposal was made during positive talks with Inter on Thursday. The offer is a €50m fee plus €5m add-ons. The structure of the add-ons is still being discussed between clubs but once agreed, the deal will be complete. The transfer is imminent.
- Once the Onana deal is complete, Inter will try to sign Yann Sommer from Bayern and Anatolji Trubin from Shakhtar.
Juventus
- Leonardo Bonucci, Weston McKennie, Arthur Melo and Denis Zakaria are all out of Juventus’ first team. Excluded from the project and all on the market this summer.
Lazio
- Lazio president Claudio Lotito confirms Ciro Immobile is not for sale. The president told Messaggero: “I’ve not received official bids for Immobile. He’s like my son, he’s not for sale”.
Liverpool
- Jordan Henderson has accepted Al Ettifaq’s proposal and there’s now a verbal agreement in principle for him to move to Saudi Arabia. Liverpool captain spoke to Jurgen Klopp on Thursday and he gave the green light. The deal now depends on Liverpool and Al Ettifaq agreeing on a fee. There is no chance of letting him leave for free as the Saudi club wanted.
- Negotiations between Fabinho and Al Ittihad are taking place but nothing is done yet as no official bid has been sent to Liverpool at present.
- Liverpool are actively working to sign a new midfielder with Roméo Lavia still on the list since two weeks ago but still no official bid. Other options are also being considered.
- Sepp van den Berg has completed a season-long loan to German side Mainz.
Manchester City
- Brazilian talent Sávio loan move to Girona from Man City is now official and confirmed.
Manchester United
- Manchester United are closing in on André Onana deal after the final verbal proposal was made during positive talks on Thursday. The offer is a €50m fee plus €5m add-ons. The structure of the add-ons are still being discussed but once agreed, the deal will be complete. The transfer is imminent.
- Galatasaray have made contact with Manchester United to sign Fred and have submitted their opening offer, which was rejected by the club. The player will leave Man United this summer with Saudi clubs, Fulham and other Premier League clubs interested.
Marseille
- Renan Lodi to Olympique Marseille is done as everything is in place with Atlético Madrid. French club will pay a €13m transfer fee and Atlético will keep a 20% sell-on clause.
Nottingham Forest
- Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Willian after talks on Thursday but Fulham are still trying to bring him back to the club. Both clubs have sent formal proposals to Willian as he’s currently a free agent. His decision is expected soon and it is down to the player.
Paris Saint-Germain
- PSG are not planning to sell or offload Gianluigi Donnarumma this summer. The goalkeeper remains part of the club’s plans.
- The Ligue 1 champions are also very interested in French star Bradley Barcola but RB Leipzig are also well-informed on his situation.
Wolves
- Talks to bring Matt Doherty back to Wolves are now advancing to the final stages, an agreement over a deal is now close.
- AC Milan have left talks for Adama Traoré. He will not be joining Milan as the club has different priorities.
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]]>The post Exclusive: Graham Potter to Ligue 1? Nice as Man United’s feeder club? Plus the latest on Rabiot, Will Still and more – Jonathan Johnson appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Hello and welcome to my weekly CaughtOffside column – click here to subscribe for exclusive daily updates straight to your inbox!
Graham Potter would fit the bill for Nice but the project is a hard sell
First things first, Nice are looking for a new manager for next season. Didier Digard seems likely to leave given that their season fell apart in the last couple of weeks, at around the same time as the club was hit by the scandal including Christophe Galtier at PSG. The general feeling is that Nice are looking for someone who has Premier League experience, so Graham Potter would fit that bill obviously.
You look at their recruitment policy over the last couple of years and there have been a number of players brought in from Premier League clubs. You’ve got the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley being picked up, and it’s almost like a home away from home for a lot of these guys who have been part of the Premier League furniture over the years.
I’d say it also kind of reflects the ownership and what they’re trying to achieve because Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also looking to get in at Manchester United at this moment in time, so if an opportunity arose to bring someone like Potter in, he would relish that. With regards to whether it would be a good fit for him or not, I think that the team is capable of playing much better football than they’ve been playing of late, finishing higher up the table. I think the fact they probably won’t have European football next season will probably work against them trying to get a coach of Potter’s ability and status despite what happened at Chelsea.
Other names they’ve been linked with; Franck Haise at Lens but I’d be stunned if he left Lens, in the Champions League, for Nice, without any European football at all. Regis Le Bris at Lorient – who would make a bit more sense – and then there’s Thiago Motta who is also wanted by PSG. You have the Jean-Claude Blanc link too and I think Potter is definitely a name to watch for that role, but equally I think it’s going to be a challenge for Nice to sell the project to him and, to be honest, to sell the project to anyone at this moment in time.
Man United supporters should be careful what they wish for
Although it’s been said that Nice will remain a priority for Ratcliffe, I’m not convinced that it will be. This is the third time that he has looked to acquire another club, and given that it’s Manchester United, supposedly his childhood club, it seems difficult to me that Nice would really remain that important should they manage to get in at Old Trafford.
I think given the financial needs of Manchester United, especially to get that deal over the line – we’re talking billions here -, let’s face it, Nice haven’t really been a success since he took over. It hasn’t been a complete disaster but it’s not been impressive. Lausanne in Switzerland, one of their other clubs, that hasn’t exactly been a roaring success either. So you do kind of wonder at some point if they do get United, what is the point of persevering with clubs like Nice.
The fans won’t accept Nice becoming a feeder club to Manchester United either. Of course there would probably be some players sent out on loan, that sort of thing – you’ve got a similar situation happening with Strasbourg and Chelsea at the moment – but these are proud clubs that count for something on the French footballing landscape. To simply think they’ll be there to supplement the first teams at some of these Premier League clubs is rich, and the fans won’t take that lying down.
They want their club to be challenging for European qualification, and should Ratcliffe be successful in acquiring Manchester United, that brings up the obvious question of ownership should either of them qualify for the same UEFA competition at some point in the future. Given that that was supposedly the point of this project, it begs the question why potentially try and lead two clubs to the same goal when you’re going to get asked about your ownership interests in both.
Despite what is said publicly, I do think there’ll be a period of reflection regarding the Nice project should Ratcliffe get in at United but it’s still a big ‘if’ at this moment in time so let’s see how it plays out.
It’s the right time for Rabiot to try his luck in the Premier League
I think the player that Adrien Rabiot is now would be a good fit for the Premier League. Let’s not forget he spent a couple of years at Manchester City’s youth academy before going back to France with PSG so he’s someone who knows a little about the league and the expectations, and I think he’s much more ready for it now than he was then.
Obviously he’s an important figure in the French national team after the World Cup at the end of last year, and being a free agent with that kind of quality, it’s natural that he would appeal to a lot of sizeable Premier League clubs. We’ve seen Man United be interested in him in the past but they baulked at the financial needs to get that deal done.
Newcastle are the new kids on the block and they’ve got an ambitious project, kind of similar to the PSG one that Rabiot burst into during the first couple of years of Qatari ownership. I do think in terms of his profile he’d be a good fit for the Premier League and it would surprise me if only a handful of clubs were interested in him.
I think a lot of the Premier League sides that qualify for Europe will look at him as a potential opportunity once they’re certain of the European competition that they’re qualifying for next year. Definitely one to keep an eye on in terms of links with Premier League clubs.
The chances of him extending with Juve have come and gone and I think the only realistic option for him in France would probably be a return to PSG which would be problematic given the way in which he left.
All rounder Manu Kone not ready for Man United
Kone’s a bit of an all rounder and all action, but I don’t think he’s necessarily ready for the jump up to Manchester United and the expectations that would come with that. Equally, coming back to PSG, and being a French talent that they would have to pay quite significantly for, that would also present a number of challenges.
I do think he’s a very interesting profile and he’s expecting to be on the move this summer. He’s developed well so far with ‘Gladbach, he’s certainly on the radar in terms of a potential French national team call up in the near future, and it just seems like he needs to find the right fit in order for him to develop further and reach the next level of his game which should ultimately put him in that top band of midfield talent.
I’m just not sure that going to a team where he’s not guaranteed to be part of the starting XI – which would be the case at either PSG or United – would be the best move for him right now. Depending what happens with ‘Gladbach moving forward, potentially staying on for another year might not actually be the worst for his development but it depends on that project and what they try to achieve with it.
Messi’s move is a blessing for PSG, Neymar could be Saudi bound and Hakimi is likely to go to the Premier League
Messi leaving sorts PSG out in terms of their bloated wage bill, that really takes a lot of pressure off. They have Milan Skriniar already lined up and coming in on a free transfer from Inter Milan, and the player himself publicly confirmed that after the January transfer window. Despite the fact he’s had an operation on his back since, that’s going to be one new face coming in for PSG and has to be accommodated in terms of salary. Messi going is pretty much decided right now and there’s no way back after everything that’s happened over the past couple of weeks, even though there has been a thawing in relationships there.
With Neymar, PSG have been open to letting him go for more than a year. It was the case last summer but nobody came in for him based on his form and the potential costs attached to the move. I’d also say with Neymar that him moving on looks doubtful again this summer, because until he actually plays again after his injury – let’s not forget he’s also undergone surgery (that I believed could’ve happened when he first arrived at PSG in 2017 and something that was long overdue) – and shows he’s capable of getting back to something resembling his best, I think PSG are basically hoping for some sort of miracle offer from Saudi Arabia. I think most European clubs will bear in mind what they’ve seen from him in terms of form, the regular injuries recently and probably look at wanting some solid proof before they stump up any potential money. That’s why PSG are perhaps open to letting him go out on loan with an option or obligation to buy, which wasn’t the case last summer.
In terms of Hakimi, let’s not forget that despite the fact he had a fantastic World Cup, it’s been extremely problematic for him off the pitch in recent months. The rape allegations have become a touchy subject around PSG and my feeling, because he hasn’t been at his absolute best since arriving at PSG even though there’ve been moments, don’t get me wrong, is if the right offer came in PSG would at least consider it. The other thing that they have to take into account is that Hakimi is extremely close to Kylian Mbappe so whilst Mbappe stays which will be the case for next season, I find it difficult to see Hakimi going or at least I would say there are other names that PSG would be more likely to move on. Verratti for example, who the club seem to have tired of in terms of his unprofessional approach to his game.
If I had to pick a potential destination, I’d say England is more likely considering PSG would demand quite a high fee bearing in mind what they paid for Hakimi. La Liga seems difficult in terms of the limitations with the salary cap, that kind of thing, but then again if he was to go back to Real Madrid at some point, I guess that could potentially change the situation. The chances of PSG and Real Madrid doing business, given how things were relating to the Kylian Mbappe situation a year ago, however, means I find it doubtful that PSG would come to the table to negotiate that deal.
I think Frankfurt would be a good fit for Hugo Ekitike especially if they move Kolo Muani on. Ekitike has been a bit of a disaster with PSG to be honest. There was an obligation to buy in his loan deal which PSG haven’t been able to get out of. They did try but to no avail. Ekitike’s move is being made permanent and then they’ll be looking to either move him on via a loan deal or potentially selling him at a loss. There’s not much hope at this moment in time that he can be salvaged to be a useable player for PSG. I think the main alleviating factor in terms of FFP would be Messi going and Sergio Ramos as well, who’s also on an expiring contract.
Premier League interest in Mikautadze is genuine
Georges Mikautadze’s a player that has interested a number of European clubs recently, and he’s obviously doing very well in terms of his stats in Ligue 2. There’s no guarantee that Metz will be one of the two teams going up from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1 at the end of this season as they’re vying for that second place behind Le Havre, and we’ll see how it pans out in the last couple of rounds of games.
Most of the Premier League interest in him has come from clubs that are outside of the traditional top four, but who are looking to break into that bracket of being regular European qualifiers. Given his stats (25 goals in 43 appearances) he could be an interesting alternative for some European clubs playing in the Champions League next season, especially if Metz end up staying in Ligue 2 which will keep the price fairly reasonable by their standards.
Will Still tempted by West Ham but potential Belgian interest could scupper move
Will Still at some point in the future will be considered for a Premier League role, but I think English top-flight clubs would probably want to see a bit more experience from him before considering him for a position. The West Ham link is quite tempting as far as far as the Hammers supporter is concerned, however, he’s spoken recently about his future and he expects to be with Reims heading into next season.
They’re already working on their plans for what will happen over the summer, and I think the fact that Reims’ form has tailed off a little bit has put them in a more realistic position than they were in a couple of weeks ago. That run of form was fantastic and put him on the map.
It’s a big couple of months for Still. He’s going to complete his final coaching badge and that will end all of the stories attached to the fact that Reims have been paying fines up until he had that fixed date for his final exam.
I think another season in Ligue 1 will confirm whether or not Still is one of those profiles that Premier League clubs are looking at. Should Reims start next season in similar form to what we’ve seen from them over the last couple of months, then he could be a target for a Premier League club that might not have made the best start to the season. Perhaps around the December/January mark.
When people talk about him they tend to overlook the fact that he’s as much Belgian as he is English and I think some of the top Jupiler Pro League Belgian clubs, especially as they’re more competitive in Europe now, could be a potential destination for him too.
The post Exclusive: Graham Potter to Ligue 1? Nice as Man United’s feeder club? Plus the latest on Rabiot, Will Still and more – Jonathan Johnson appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>The post ‘Would fit that bill obviously’ – Former Chelsea man could resurrect career in Ligue Un appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>As the current Premier League season draws to a close, the summer break offers the opportunity for those players or managers without a club to get back into work, and for former Chelsea manager, Graham Potter, France’s Ligue Un potentially beckons.
Potter endured an horrific time at Stamford Bridge, but as has been seen since under Frank Lampard, the problems clearly ran a lot deeper than the coach.
Fortunately in football, salvation is often only another appointment away, and having some time out of the limelight could well impact Potter in a positive way.
‘First things first, Nice are looking for a new manager for next season,’ senior journalist, Jonathan Johnson, wrote in his exclusive CaughtOffside Substack.
‘Didier Digard seems likely to leave given that their season fell apart in the last couple of weeks, at around the same time as the club was hit by the scandal including Christophe Galtier at PSG. The general feeling is that Nice are looking for someone who has Premier League experience, so Graham Potter would fit that bill obviously.’
It’s worth pondering on the point that Potter hasn’t become a bad coach overnight. The west Londoners clearly saw something in him when he was at Brighton and Hove Albion which they liked the look of, but the owners then proceeded to make life as difficult as possible for him by parachuting in players that arguably Potter didn’t need or want.
Nice’s recruitment policy may therefore be more to his liking.
‘You look at their recruitment policy over the last couple of years and there have been a number of players brought in from Premier League clubs,’ Johnson continued.
‘You’ve got the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley being picked up, and it’s almost like a home away from home for a lot of these guys who have been part of the Premier League furniture over the years.
‘I’d say it also kind of reflects the ownership and what they’re trying to achieve because (Sir Jim) Ratcliffe is also looking to get in at Manchester United at this moment in time, so if an opportunity arose to bring someone like Potter in, he would relish that.
‘With regards to whether it would be a good fit for him or not, I think that the team is capable of playing much better football than they’ve been playing of late, finishing higher up the table. I think the fact they won’t or probably won’t have European football next season will probably work against them trying to get a coach of Potter’s ability and status despite what happened at Chelsea.’
Of course, he isn’t the only name in the frame to replace Didier Digard, though it may not even be possible for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to bring in the man he wants.
Things haven’t exactly gone well, and that means confidence is likely to be on the floor which is hardly the best set of circumstances for a new man in charge to come in and make his demands.
‘Other names they’ve been linked with are Franck Haise at Lens but I’d be stunned if he left Lens in the Champions League for Nice, without any European football at all, Regis Le Bris at Lorient – who would make a bit more sense – and then there’s Thiago Motta who is also wanted by PSG,’ Johnson added.
‘You have the Jean-Claude Blanc link too and I think Potter is definitely a name to watch for that role, but equally I think it’s going to be a challenge for Nice to sell the project to him and, to be honest, to sell the project to anyone at this moment in time.’
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]]>The post Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing – “perfect winger” for Chelsea, Arsenal eye defender replacement + more appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Hello and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing, thanks for reading, and remember to SUBSCRIBE if you want this in your inbox five mornings a week!
AC Milan
AC Milan can’t lose Olivier Giroud now, it’s seen as “impossible” by club sources and they expect Giroud to sign new deal in the next weeks or months after a verbal agreement was reached in December.
Al Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo: “It’s not the end of my career in Saudi Arabia. Many people speak… but they know nothing about football. I know here the league is very competitive. I don’t care about people saying things about this choice. I took my decision, I am happy.
“My work in Europe is done. I played at the best clubs in the world… and I won everything. I’m happy, proud to join Al Nassr. People don’t know about the level here. This contract is unique because I am a unique player. It’s normal for me.”
Some info I’ve had: I’m aware of Sporting Kansas City, Al Hilal and Al Nassr proposals for Ronaldo, but of course if he said that there were offers from Europe I guess there was something else!
No one close to Ronaldo wants to confirm the clause for European clubs or Newcastle, so at the moment there’s no confirmation.
Arsenal
Chelsea are interested in Mykhaylo Mudryk as revealed on Monday. He’s considered the “perfect winger” for their project but nothing has changed, as of now – the player’s first choice is Arsenal, and Chelsea will only make their move if talks with the Gunners collapse.
It’s a possibility for Cedric Soares to leave Arsenal this month. Fulham want Cedric but there’s still no agreement with Arsenal. It depends on the salary, but there is also no agreement on that yet. Arsenal are also keen to make sure they have an alternative if Cedric leaves.
Aston Villa
Aaron Ramsey has been recalled by Aston Villa following his loan spell at Norwich City, club confirms.
“Ramsey will continue his rehabilitation at Bodymoor Heath after picking up an injury in December,” a club statement read.
Barcelona
Xavi on Memphis Depay: “I don’t want Memphis or any other player to leave in January. I think it’s gonna be a quiet window for us”.
I can confirm that Barcelona have never received any bid from Newcastle for Memphis.
Bayern Munich
Official. New agent for FC Bayern and France star Kingsley Coman, he’s now with CAA Base.
“Coman is a world class talent, having won 27 trophies by the age of 26. We are excited to support him as he strives to achieve further success”, said agent Christian Emile.
Kevin Trapp will not be Manuel Neuer’s replacement at FC Bayern, as Eintracht director Krosche confirms: “It’s a story made up by the agents — it’s complete nonsense.”
Bayern focus remains on Yann Sommer and Alex Nubel as goalkeeper options.
Brighton
Despite some speculation, there’s no update yet on Moises Caicedo, it’s one to watch in January for sure but as of now no developments yet. Chelsea are fully focused on Enzo Fernandez in midfield, with talks ongoing. I’d also add Newcastle among teams appreciating Caicedo but Brighton will try to keep him until the end of the season.
The post Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing – “perfect winger” for Chelsea, Arsenal eye defender replacement + more appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>The post Video: Aaron Ramsey scores classic goal on Nice debut after just one minute appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Aaron Ramsey scored his first goal for Nice in the French club’s 1-1 against Toulouse and it was a classic from the former Arsenal star.
The Wales international joined the French club this summer after his Juventus contract was terminated and it is the perfect start for the 31-year-old after a tough few years in his career.
Ramsey started the match on the bench before being brought on in the 77th minute. It only took the midfielder just one minute to get on the scoresheet, making a classic run into the box and finishing high to the keeper’s right.
Aaron Ramsey with a lovely first time finish on debut for Nice pic.twitter.com/R8vRUTHTlQ
— Back Again W/Troopz Podcast (@backagain) August 7, 2022
Footage Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
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]]>The post Aaron Ramsey ends Juventus hoodoo and joins French club on free transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.
]]>Aaron Ramsey’s Juventus nightmare has come to an end after the Welsh star joined French giants Nice on a free transfer.
As per the club’s official website, the Caerphilly-born hero has linked up with the south coast side on a three-year deal as he seeks pastures new ahead of the 2022 World Cup, with his nation set to take on England in three months’ time in Qatar.
Ramsey had joined the ‘Old Lady’ on a four-year contract back in 2019 after a stellar 11-year spell at Arsenal saw him become one of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders on the planet.
But just three years into his deal and only 70 appearances later, the star has terminated his contract ahead of time in order to join Lucien Favre’s men as he embarks on a new challenge.
MORE: Exclusive: Agent refuses to rule out late Chelsea move for “very expensive” Man United star
It is hoped that ahead of his next challenge with Nice, the experience Wales international will finally get his career back on track.
The post Aaron Ramsey ends Juventus hoodoo and joins French club on free transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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