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Santos have reportedly paused contract renewal talks with Neymar amid growing concerns over his fitness and high wages. The 33-year-old forward has missed significant time through injury this year. Despite the excellent relationship between Neymar and the club, officials want to reassess the situation before committing to an extension as his current contract runs until December.

• Santos hit pause on Neymar's renewal

  Santos are delaying negotiations over a new deal for Neymar as they continue to fight against relegation in the Brazilian Serie A. ESPN reports that the club’s board is in no rush to finalise a renewal, with doubts emerging over the star’s physical condition and the financial burden of maintaining his high salary. Neymar’s current contract expires in December 2025, and talks are expected to resume only after a full internal review.

  The veteran forward’s return to Santos was initially seen as a fairytale homecoming when he rejoined from Al-Hilal in January. However, injuries have marred his comeback season, limiting him to just 21 appearances, in which he scored six goals and provided three assists. His latest setback, a rectus femoris muscle injury in his right thigh, has sidelined him since September 19.

  Santos officials insist that no rift exists between the parties, despite the pause in talks. They believe Neymar must first regain full fitness before discussions over a long-term extension can continue. Behind the scenes, expectations are that he could return to action in November, giving him a final chance to prove his value before the season ends.

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  Neymar's wages a burden for Santos

  The situation marks a stark contrast from earlier in the year when Santos proudly announced a short-term renewal with Neymar. Back in June, the 33-year-old was in better form, attracting interest from European clubs and bringing renewed optimism to Vila Belmiro. Now, persistent injuries and inconsistent displays have shifted the club’s priorities as they focus on survival rather than star power.

  Santos’ board must weigh the financial implications of keeping their marquee player while struggling in the league. Neymar’s salary is among the highest in South America, and his absences have amplified questions about whether he remains a sustainable investment for a club facing financial and sporting instability. With limited resources, Santos cannot afford to carry an injured talisman indefinitely.

  Still, Neymar’s return to his boyhood club has provided commercial benefits. Shirt sales, attendances, and global attention surged after his signing, reinforcing his off-field influence. Yet, those gains now appear insufficient to offset the uncertainty surrounding his fitness — an all-too-familiar theme throughout his post-Barcelona career.

• AFP
  

  Neymar's decline puts question marks on World Cup 2026 availability

  Neymar’s physical decline has been a major storyline in recent years. After leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 for Al-Hilal, the Brazilian suffered a devastating ACL injury that derailed his Saudi Pro League campaign, limiting him to just seven appearances. Since returning to Brazil, he has endured three more injuries, continuing a frustrating cycle that has haunted him since his European days.

  His struggles have also affected his international career. Neymar hasn’t featured for Brazil since October 2023, when he played in a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay during World Cup qualifying. However, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that the forward remains in contention for the 2026 tournament — provided he proves his fitness.

  “Neymar can play at his highest level in this team without any problems,” Ancelotti told reporters. “When he is in good physical condition, he has the quality to play not only in Brazil but in any team in the world because of his talent.” The Italian added that teamwork and movement off the ball will be crucial if Neymar is to adapt to Brazil’s evolving system.

  Competition for attacking places has intensified in Neymar’s absence. Ancelotti’s latest squad featured Richarlison, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, Joao Pedro, Luiz Henrique, and Estevao — a youthful, dynamic group redefining Brazil’s frontline. If Neymar hopes to return to the national team setup, he must prove that his experience outweighs concerns about his durability.

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• Contract talks will be held in 2026

  For now, Santos’ focus remains squarely on avoiding relegation and managing Neymar’s recovery carefully. The forward is expected to resume training in November, though the club will monitor him closely before clearing him for full competition. Any decision on his future will hinge on whether he can demonstrate lasting fitness and consistent form before the end of the campaign.

  If his performances improve, Santos could reopen contract talks before the year concludes. However, if injuries persist, the club may choose to let his deal expire, allowing him to explore free transfers abroad. Reports suggest that European clubs such as Inter Milan and Napoli are keeping tabs but share similar reservations about his medical history.

Manchester United’s academy has been known for producing numerous top-level talents over the years, subsequently helping the club win 13 Premier League titles.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the man to thank for such glory, subsequently able to build a successful side, mainly relying upon players who came through the ranks at Old Trafford.

He was famous for integrating the Class of ’92, with the sextet making over 3000 combined appearances for the Red Devils first-team squad.

However, Ruben Amorim’s current first-team squad only includes three academy graduates in the form of Kobbie Mainoo, Tom Heaton and Tyler Fredricson.

The manager also wants to bolster his own first-team squad with further English quality, as seen by his attempts to land Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton this summer.

Man Utd’s hunt for Wharton this summer

Throughout the summer transfer window, United made a beeline to land a new central midfielder to help bolster the middle of Amorim’s side for 2025/26 and beyond.

Their pursuit led them to England international Wharton, even entering talks with Oliver Glasner’s side to try and complete a deal for the 21-year-old’s signature.

However, a transfer fee of around £100m was mooted for the youngster’s services, a figure that was ultimately too much given the £200m already splashed on other areas of the squad.

Such a move would’ve been an excellent one, especially if he would’ve been able to replicate his numbers from last season, which helped the Eagles win the FA Cup.

Wharton ranked in the 93rd percentile for progressive passes completed per 90 (7.3) and the 86th percentile for passes into the final third per 90 (5.3).

Whilst ball-playing is obviously his strength, the former Blackburn Rovers star also showcased his tremendous ability of being able to regain the ball for his side.

He ranked in the 93rd percentile for recoveries made per 90 (7.1), along with the 81st percentile for interceptions made per 90 (1.4) – possessing numerous qualities that would’ve improved Amorim’s side.

However, Wharton will remain a case of what could’ve been, but they could’ve had their own version of the superstar had they kept hold of another youngster.

The former United star who could’ve been Amorim’s own Wharton

Selling youngsters too prematurely has often been an issue for United over recent seasons, as seen by the decision to offload Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest in 2023.

The Red Devils parted ways with the Swede for just £15m, allowing the winger to get valuable game time – subsequently racking up 11 goals and 21 assists in his two years at the City Ground.

Such numbers saw him make a £60m move to Newcastle United this summer – leaving the Reds for four times more than they paid for his signature just two years prior.

Another similar scenario could rear its head again in the future, after Amorim’s side agreed to sell 18-year-old midfielder Zach Baumann to Norwich City on deadline day.

The deal saw the Ukrainian youngster leave on a free transfer, but it does include future clauses which could see the Red Devils gain some money for his signature.

He’s been a regular at various youth levels for United over the last couple of years, featuring in five different competitions – including the U18 Premier League, where he scored once and registered five assists.

Baumann, who’s also been labelled “exceptional” by one analyst, has drawn comparisons to Wharton by the Daily Mail’s Manchester United correspondent, Nathan Salt.

U18 Premier League

13

6

Premier League 2

3

0

UEFA Youth League

1

0

FA Youth Cup

2

0

Total:

19

6

He claims that the teenager is superb in possession – often offering a composed head – being able to pick out forward passes, just as the Palace star has in recent times.

Such talents have been evident for the Red Devils’ youth teams in recent times, producing numerous incredible passes which have contributed to his impressive assist tally.

Another analyst has previously touched on his impressive nature with the ball at his feet – with the Red Devils evidently making a huge mistake in allowing the teenager to depart Old Trafford.

Given his tender age, Baumann still has a long way to go before he can get anywhere near the levels produced by Wharton within England’s top-flight.

However, his recent departure could see a huge mistake being made down the line, with the fans potentially having to watch another talent flourish away from the Theatre of Dreams.

The original Mainoo: INEOS must rue selling Man Utd star who's like Scholes

Manchester United messed up when they sold this star who is now worth as much as Kobbie Mainoo.

3 ByDan Emery Sep 9, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

A contratação do atacante Marinho, levando a melhor contra tradicionais camisas do futebol brasileiro como São Paulo, Cruzeiro e Santos, por exemplo, é um marco simbólico no Brasil. Sobretudo, para o Nordeste.

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A vitória no mercado interno, no entanto, não aconteceu por acaso. A vinda do ex-flamenguista para o Leão do Pici evidencia, mais uma vez, o crescimento gradual que o clube cearense tem vivido nos últimos anos. Para se ter uma ideia, entre 2017 e 2022, o Tricolor viu as suas receitas saltarem de R$ 24,4 milhões para R$ 267,8 milhões, um crescimento de 1.100% em sua arrecadação. Com disciplina financeira, o Leão ajustou as contas e, não à toa, tornou-se bem quisto pelos jogadores e começou a vencer batalhas internas com outros clubes para reforçar o elenco.

– O Marinho é uma importante aquisição. Após a saída do Moisés, a gente precisava repor um atacante com características de finalização e drible. É um jogador da primeira prateleira do futebol brasileiro. Foi uma negociação difícil porque muitos clubes, do eixo Sul-Sudeste, estavam interessados, mas ele optou por vir para cá pelo projeto, possibilidade de ser um protagonista, estabilidade do clube e pelo desafio de vencer com a gente também – afirmou o presidente do clube, Marcelo Paz.

A maior receita da história conquistada em 2022 permitiu ao Fortaleza, presidido por Marcelo Paz, reduzir as dívidas em 9% as deixando na casa dos R$ 33,1 milhões. Em 2021, o clube já tinha dado um grande passo na organização de suas finanças ao zerar as dívidas trabalhistas.

Outro fator importante no seu processo estrutural foi o resgate do orgulho do torcedor. No ano passado, o tricolor cearense teve a sexta maior média de público no país, com 30.807 mil torcedores. O melhor público do time naquela temporada aconteceu no confronto diante do Sport, na final da Copa do Nordeste, quando 60.045 tricolores estiveram na Arena Castelão para acompanhar a vitória por 1 a 0 dos cearenses, com direito a grito de campeão. Só no Brasileirão, o Leão do Pici levou mais de 600 mil torcedores.

Durante este período de ascensão foram, ao todo, oito taças ganhas: Série B (2018), Copa do Nordeste (2019 e 2022) além do inédito pentacampeonato do Cearense (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 e 2023). Além disso, passou a fazer campanhas expressivas na Copa do Brasil, Brasileiro e Libertadores. Sendo que, no torneio continental, tornou-se o único time nordestino a estar presente em duas edições seguidas.

No Ranking Nacional de clubes divulgado pela CBF, o Leão aparece como o sétimo melhor da atualidade. Com um time competitivo e boa visibilidade nas competições nacionais e internacionais, mais um importante capítulo foi escrito com a venda do atacante Moisés para o Cruz Azul-MEX, a maior da história do Nordeste, em um valor estimado de R$ 24,5 milhões.

Fortalecido economicamente e gerando vários tipos de receita, o clube tem aumentado também o seu poder de investimento e sido cirúrgico no mercado para se reforçar e repor peças para o elenco do técnico argentino Juan Pablo Vojvoda. Somente em 2023 foram gastos mais de R$ 22 milhões. Nomes como o do centroavante argentino Juan Martín Lucero, que veio do Colo Colo em transação de um milhão de dólares (cerca de R$ 5 milhões, na cotação da época), e Calebe, adquirido junto ao Atlético-MG por R$ 6 milhões, foram movimentações importantes no mercado.

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Além da dupla, o atacante Júnior Santos (aproximadamente R$ 3,6 milhões), o lateral direito Dudu (R$ 3,5 milhões), o lateral esquerdo Bruno Pacheco (R$ 2 milhões) e o volante Tomás Pochettino, que não teve os valores da negociação divulgados, também foram outros nomes que entraram na lista de investimento feito pelo time cearense.

Marinho foi a ‘última cartada’ até aqui do Fortaleza no mercado. Embora não divulgue o valor da operação pelo atacante, o Leão ofereceu salário entre R$ 50 mil a R$ 100 mil em um contrato até o final de dezembro de 2025. Para o time rubro-negro, os cearenses pagaram uma compensação financeira no valor de US$ 400 mil (aproximadamente R$ 2 milhões).

“Vim aqui para ajudar, fazer o meu melhor e conquistar, só conseguimos ficar marcado na história do clube com conquistas. Então, esse é o meu maior objetivo, a torcida apaixonada, ver o mosaico no estádio é um momento que estou ansioso, de jogar no Castelão cheio e conquistar vitórias”, disse o atacante do Leão.

AQUISIÇÕES EM 2023 DO FORTALEZA

Calebe (Atlético-MG): R$ 6 milhões
Júnior Santos (Sanfrecce Hiroshima): US$ 700 mil (cerca de R$ 3,6 milhões)
Dudu (Atlético-GO): R$ 3,5 milhões
Bruno Pacheco (Ceará): R$ 2 milhões
Martín Lucero (Colo Colo: US$ 1 milhão (cerca de R$ 5 milhões)
Marinho (Flamengo): US$ 400 mil (cerca de R$ 1,9 milhão)

Kate Cross believes cultural change must form part of England’s rise from their Women’s Ashes nadir as the team sets out to win back fans as well as cricket matches.Cross admitted there was little positive to say off the back of a 16-nil points defeat at the hands of Australia, as players and staff await the outcome of an ECB review into the tour.”There’s areas that we probably know we need to address from cricket points of view, but also from probably cultural points of view as well,” Cross said. “This review, I don’t know what’s going to come of it, but I’m hoping that these are the things that will get addressed, and pave the way for the next generation to want to play for England.”The result in Australia was particularly disappointing for England in light of the excitement and optimism that the team generated in the course of their home Ashes campaign in 2023, in which they battled back from defeat in the one-off Test to square the series 8-8 with victories in both white-ball legs.”Ultimately I feel like we might’ve lost a few fans in the last couple of months, which is really sad from our point of view,” Cross added. “I think the 2023 Ashes was how good it can be and the 2025 Ashes how bad it can be.”The review, announced by Clare Connor, managing director of England Women’s Cricket, in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes whitewash, has conducted player interviews and is expected to make public its recommendations later this month.Cross brought a unique perspective to her evaluation of the tour, having travelled with a bulging disc in her back, which ultimately kept her sidelined throughout despite repeated attempts to prove her fitness to play.She acknowledged that, as professional athletes, players must accept increased scrutiny of their performances and she hoped people would “fall back in love with English cricket” after a torrid winter for both the women’s and men’s teams, the latter dumped out of contention in the Champions Trophy after two matches.England failed to win a match in the multi-format Women’s Ashes and were comprehensively out-played by hosts Australia, with the tourists’ physical fitness and mental toughness coming under the microscope, particularly in the wake of a row involving Alex Hartley, the former World Cup-winner turned commentator.Related

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“It was unprecedented how poorly we performed over there, I don’t think anyone probably anticipated the Ashes turning out the way it did, and obviously there was a huge disappointment that came with that,” Cross said.”As a group of players now, we don’t know what’s going to come of this review that’s happening at the moment, but I think it motivates you to be a better group of players and a better, I guess, version of yourself.”For Cross, it was a particularly frustrating trip, coming more than a decade on from her breakthrough performance at Perth on the 2013-14 tour of Australia, where her starring role on Test debut helped set England up for their most recent Ashes series win.”My reflections on my trip were quite unusual. I didn’t get to play a game of cricket, but as a 33-year-old getting ruled out of an Ashes series was devastating. So I feel like it’s made me really think about how I want to manage my career now moving forwards and, with the new structure of the tiers in the counties, I’m hoping that I’ll be so well supported with that, that that wasn’t my last Ashes hopefully.England’s players look on as Australia celebrate their Women’s Ashes whitewash•Getty Images

“Ultimately as players, we still want to try and get young girls interested in the game and us losing quite drastically isn’t going to do that. So we’re going to have to have a real look at how we want to portray ourselves as a team moving forward and try and get a bit of love back from our fans because we, or certainly I, felt that we kind of lost a lot of that from our Ashes series, so hopefully we can move in the right direction now.”Her comments suggest an acceptance that the ‘inspire and entertain’ mantra the team has espoused since Jon Lewis took over as head coach in 2022 has become irrelevant amid a rash of poor performances, going back to the group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in October.Cross was speaking at the launch of the Professional Cricketers’ Association Women’s Impact Report, highlighting advances made in the game since 2020. That progress includes equal domestic minimum salaries of £28,000 for men and women from this season, where women’s teams have been aligned with the men’s in a three-tiered county-based structure.But more work remains to be done, including addressing the salary gap between genders in the Hundred, which widened rather than closed this year. While the leading earners in the men’s competition will earn £200,000, an increase of 60%, the top earners in the women’s game will earn £65,000, up 30%. The base salary for men went up by £1,000 on last year to £31,000 compared to the women, who went from £8,000 to £10,000.”I would hope to see that it happens quite quickly, especially with how vocal the players were about the pay gap getting bigger,” Cross said. “It was obviously a disappointment, but I’m always of the bigger picture, that the Hundred has done a lot for the women’s game. It continues to do that. It puts us in a spotlight that we’ve never had before in the domestic game.”So as disappointing as those headlines are, there’s still a lot of great stuff and there’s a lot more money coming into the game now and hopefully that’ll get pushed in the right direction and the gender play gap will continue to get smaller rather than get bigger.”A PCA working group will lobby the ECB on various aspects of the Hundred, which will receive a huge injection of funds through private investment from next season.Daryl Mitchell, PCA chief executive, said: “From our side, I think particularly the announcement of the salaries took us a little bit by surprise this time around, I think the communication needs to improve, particularly in that sort of announcement. What we were shown in October actually, at the players’ summit, was very different in terms of salary bands to what was actually produced and put out publicly.”There’s been some pretty robust discussions about that process, it’s fair to say, over the last couple of months. The ECB have stated it was an interim year with the sale of the Hundred franchises with a view to increase the salaries across the board next year. There’s a lot of things to work through.”

The first Test match at Centurion is tantalisingly poised after Pakistan took three wickets in nine overs to leave South Africa wobbling at 27 for 3, still 121 runs away from the 147-run target that seals a win, as well as a place in the 2023-25 World Test Championship [WTC] final.After South Africa had bowled Pakistan out for 237, they needed a fairly comfortable 148 to secure victory, but an unerring spell of accurate medium-fast bowling from Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad was well rewarded. Aside from Aiden Markram, the South Africa batters were somewhat timid in their approach to the last few overs of the day, while Abbas and Shahzad targeted the pads. Abbas brought one to jag back in sharply into Tony de Zorzi for the first breakthrough.Pakistan’s reviewing was chalk and cheese from the previous innings, successfully overturning two lbw calls. Shahzad found similar seam movement from around the wicket to strike Ryan Rickleton on the front pad, viciously enough that it hit him in line despite the batter having moved well across.Having successfully overturned that one, Pakistan repeated the formula, with Abbas finding the right line and adequate sideways movement, which has seen him find bouts of high success. Tristan Stubbs took a step out of his crease but was beaten on the outside edge, and yet again Pakistan went up collectively for the umpire to turn them down. But Shan Masood signalled to go upstairs once more and was proven right again.One of Marco Jansen’s six wickets included Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen’s six-wicket haul had helped South Africa tighten their control over the game. He picked five wickets in the afternoon as Pakistan squandered a promising start following a rain delay that wiped out the morning session. He picked one more in the final session as the hosts returned to polish off the Pakistan tail after stubborn resistance from Saud Shakeel.Babar Azam and Shakeel put on 79 for the fourth wicket, with Babar reaching his first Test half-century in nearly two years, but holed out to deep point immediately after. Mohammad Rizwan was squeezed down leg as Pakistan crumbled around Shakeel.Persistent rain saw the game start an hour after the lunch break concluded, and Pakistan began by taking advantage of a bowling effort that was nowhere near its best. Shakeel and Babar each worked Kagiso Rabada away for four in the third over, and the runs flowed for the next half an hour. Twenty-three runs came off the next three, and though Babar still found himself beaten a few times, he was also finding the timing that in the past was so often a precursor to a big score.Corbin Bosch found that out when he missed his line twice and Babar helped himself to two fours, before a clip into the covers brought up his long-awaited half-century, his first in 20 innings. But he threw it away disappointingly, failing to get on top of a short and wide one from Jansen, Bosch barely having to move to send a devastated Babar on his way.Saud Shakeel’s struck an important 84•AFP/Getty Images

Jansen was finding the wickets that eluded him in the first innings, with Rizwan and Salman Agha falling cheaply. A brief stand between Shakeel and Aamer Jamal once more gave the impression Pakistan would go into tea six down, before Jamal lobbed a tame Dane Paterson bouncer straight to deep midwicket, and Naseem Shah helpfully nicking Rabada into the slips.Shakeel attempted to farm the strike post-tea and would enjoy some success as wayward bowling allowed for the odd boundary and comfortable late-over singles. A regal pick-up for six over midwicket was the highlight, but Pakistan’s penchant for gifting wickets to deliveries that did not merit them struck again when a knee-high full toss rapped into Shakeel’s front pad and effectively concluded Pakistan’s batting effort.It appeared to be the final nail in the coffin, but Pakistan’s bowlers have seen to it that South Africa do not rest easy overnight.

Just days after he struggled against Viktoria Plzen even as Rangers advanced in the Champions League qualifiers, one player has reportedly agreed a deal to depart Ibrox.

Martin "disappointed" by Plzen defeat

It’s been a frustrating start for Russell Martin, who has been as brutally honest as possible in his first set of games as Rangers manager. The former Southampton boss instantly hit out at his team following their opening day draw against Motherwell, but is yet to see his criticism have the desired effect.

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Since Martin’s scathing review, Rangers have defeated Plzen in the first leg of their Champions League tie, stuttered to a second-consecutive 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership against Dundee and managed to edge past their European opponents in the second leg despite suffering a 2-1 loss on the night.

In all three games, simply put, the Gers have been far from convincing. And Martin once again aired his disappointment on Tuesday night.

It looks as though the manager’s ruthlessness is set to continue too, with one player now heading for the exit door just days after the Plzen defeat.

Jefte reaches agreement to leave Rangers

As reported by UOL and relayed by Sport Witness, Jefte has now reached a verbal agreement with Palmeiras, who are set for face-to-face talks with Rangers to get their deal finalised. The Brazilian left-back started on Tuesday night and was one of many players who struggled to put in their best work. Now, days later, he looks set to depart.

Winning none of his tackles and making just six defensive contributions in total, as per Fotmob, Jefte was once again found wanting defensively on Tuesday night and it was perhaps one below-par performance too many for Rangers. That said, there was a time when he found himself at the centre of praise.

Former Rangers manager Philippe Clement told reporters last season: “It was what I expected, he’s a very talented player that’s why we made a big fight during six months to get him here.

“But from January on we kept a lot of contact with him and he was really convinced to come to Rangers, although a lot of teams were interested in him. He’s a very talented player for the future who for sure needs to learn still a lot, but it’s normal as he’s only 20 and he has one year experience in Europe.”

They might not be partaking in pre-season at the moment, but it would be fair to say that the mood around Chelsea at the moment is a positive one.

While the fans are still basking in Enzo Maresca’s side’s Club World Cup triumph, the board continue to make moves in the transfer window.

The Blues have already welcomed in a host of talented attacking players like Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.

Yet, there is still seemingly more work to do, with Jorrel Hato the next player to come through the doors at Stamford Bridge, although if reports are to be believed, the club could risk spoiling some of their good work by making a Jadon Sancho-esque signing.

Chelsea target Sancho repeat

As things stand, it’s looking almost certain that the next player to join Chelsea will be Hato.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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The young Ajax defender is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football, with 111 appearances to his name already.

His transfer has already been given the “here we go” treatment by Farbrizio Romano, who has also revealed that the final fee for him is around €40m, which is about £35m.

When it’s finally announced, it’ll be a massively exciting move, but there could be another transfer just on the horizon that doesn’t go down quite as well with fans.

At least that is according to journalist Alex Crook, who confirmed that Chelsea are still incredibly interested in Alejandro Garnacho.

In fact, he has revealed that the Blues are now “pushing for” the Manchester United ace this summer.

In terms of how much the Argentinian could end up costing the West Londoners, plenty of reports from earlier this summer have claimed that an offer of around £40m could be enough to get this deal done.

Garnacho might be a talented player, but this feels like a deal Chelsea do not need to do, especially as it could be another Sancho situation.

Why Garnacho could be another Sancho

Now then, it has to be said that Garnacho is clearly a talented prospect, as, even with United in their current state, a player doesn’t make 58 appearances in a season without having something about them.

However, before moving to Old Trafford, there was even more reason to think Sancho was going to be one of the future stars of English football, as in his final campaign with Borussia Dortmund, he racked up a sensational tally of 16 goals and 20 assists in just 38 games for the German giants.

Flash forward to today, and the former wonderkid has a pretty dire tally of 12 goals and six assists in 83 games for the Red Devils and a slightly better, but still poor, record of five goals and ten assists in 41 games for the Blues from last season.

Moreover, it’s not just that the 25-year-old underperformed on the pitch, but he also caused trouble off of it, getting into a public spat with former boss Erik ten Hag at the start of the 23/24 season, which ultimately saw him frozen out of the team for some time.

We’ve already seen that Garnacho has the same ability to cause trouble off the pitch as well, falling out in a rather spectacular way with Ruben Amorim at the end of last season, so much so that reports came out suggesting the manager told him he’d have to pray another side came in for him.

Now, on the rare occasion, a club might put up with someone who could disrupt the dressing room if they can have a massive impact on the pitch, but for all the talent the “electric” ace has, as dubbed by Statman Dave, he’s not got enough of it to be worth the trouble.

For example, in his 58 appearances last season, the Madrid-born dynamo only scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to a rather underwhelming average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games.

Garnacho in 24/25

Appearances

58

Minutes

3568′

Goals

11

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That’s certainly not a bad rate of return, but it’s not a game-changing one either, nor is it one that would make up for the potentially destabilising behaviour that might come with it.

Ultimately, Garnacho is a good player, but that is about as much as we can say at the moment, and therefore, Chelsea should avoid bringing him to Stamford Bridge this summer, as he wouldn’t be worth the fee that could end up being a Sancho repeat.

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حددت اللجنة القانونية باتحاد الكرة المصري لكرة القدم، موعد جلسة استماع اللاعب أحمد سيد زيزو، جناح فريق النادي الأهلي بشأن شكاوى الزمالك، فريقه السابق.

وانتقل أحمد سيد زيزو إلى فريق النادي الأهلي بعد انتهاء عقده مع الزمالك، في صفقة هزت الوسط الرياضي في مصر.

طالع| عاجل | حمزة علاء يعود إلى الأهلي رسميًا

وكان الزمالك قد تقدم بشكوى إلى اتحاد الكرة، بشأن انتقال زيزو إلى صفوف الأهلي، حيث يتهم فيها اللاعب والقلعة الحمراء بمخالفة اللوائح وأنه تفاوض في وقت كان اللاعب فيه متعاقدًا مع القلعة البيضاء.

وعلم بطولات، أن اللجنة القانونية باتحاد الكرة حددت يوم الإثنين المقبل، جلسة استماع لزيزو فيما يتعلق بالشكاوي المقدمة ضده من الزمالك، وعلى رأسها توقيعه للأهلي في فترة غير قانونية.

وكان أشرف عبد العزيز محامي أحمد سيد زيزو، طلب تأجيل قرار اللجنة للإطلاع على شكوى الزمالك، قبل أن يتحدد الموعد الإثنين المقبل.

With Nico Williams set to reject Arsenal in favour of Barcelona, the Gunners have reportedly set their sights on an unexpected move to sign a Chelsea star this summer.

Arsenal set to miss out on Nico Williams to Barcelona

There was a time when Williams looked like a serious option for Arsenal both last summer and this time around. In the end, however, the temptation of a potential Barcelona move proved too strong for the winger to turn down.

Now, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Catalan giants have agreed personal terms with the Spanish international and are now working on an agreement with Athletic Bilbao.

It’s a frustrating blow for Arsenal whose attacking limitations saw them miss out on the Premier League title once again – this time at the hands of Liverpool. And as the Reds continue to strengthen themselves, those at The Emirates must ensure that Mikel Arteta’s side are not left behind this summer.

It’s a big task for new sporting director Andrea Berta, but signing an alternative for Williams should now be seen as one of the top priorities at Arsenal in the coming months.

On that front, names such as Real Madrid’s Rodrygo have already threatened to steal the headlines and there’s no doubt that his arrival would make the required statement.

Whether Arsenal are willing to spend big to secure the Brazilian’s signature is another question, however. Instead, as per recent reports, the Gunners could turn towards a London rival in an unexpected move.

Arsenal intensify interest in Chelsea's Madueke

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now intensifying their interest in Noni Madueke as an alternative to Williams. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly open to offers for the winger as the Blues welcome even more fresh faces and that has seemingly left the door open for the Gunners to make their move in the coming months.

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What’s more, although Chelsea initially valued their winger at as much as €65m (£56m), it is now reportedly believed that they could accept offers worth just €50m (£43m). Given that Madueke is still just 23 years old, that deal could quickly turn into a summer bargain.

Minutes

2,033

1,729

2,290

Goals

7

6

8

Assists

3

10

4

Successful Take-ons P90

1.99

2.14

1.3

Although he lacked consistency at times, Madueke’s numbers from last season represent a player full of potential with his ability to take players on particularly standing out compared to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

England boss Thomas Tuchel recently described the Chelsea star as “dangerous” in the post-season international break and that’s the type of praise that should catch Arsenal’s eye.

If those in North London sign Madueke from a rival club for a cut-price and then get the best out of him, then it would quickly look like an act of genius from Berta.

Leeds United are now reportedly pushing to sign a midfield star after already announcing the arrival of Lukas Nmecha and reportedly agreeing a deal to sign Udinese’s Jaka Bijol.

Leeds set to sign Bijol after Nmecha

Following a quiet few weeks, Leeds’ summer transfer window has suddenly burst into life. First through the door has been Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg. The Manchester City graduate has returned to English football for the first time since leaving the Citizens and will be on the hunt to finally make his mark on Premier League football.

Set to join the forward at Elland Road is Bijol. The central defender enjoyed a solid season in Serie A with Udinese and is now reportedly set to join the Whites in a deal worth €22m (£19m).

The 49ers have wasted little time on the transfer front and they may just be getting started. Like Burnley and Sunderland, Leeds will be well aware of the importance of getting things right in the transfer window if they are to stand any chance of avoiding instant relegation back to the Championship.

All three sides will be desperate to end a worrying trend which has seen all of the last six promoted sides suffer instant relegation from the Premier League. Having so far backed Daniel Farke and his side, however, it seems as though the 49ers are particularly ready to interrupt that trend.

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Only adding to that belief, the American owners have already reportedly turned their attention towards another summer target after Nmecha and Bijol.

Leeds pushing to sign Noah Sadiki with £8.5m bid

Noah Sadiki has been a name at the centre of headlines this week. According to Sacha Tavolieri, Leeds have submitted an initial offer worth €10m (£8.5m) to sign Sadiki and have made contact with Union Saint-Gilloise about a potential deal.

In a contrasting report, however, reporter Joe Donnohue has claimed that a bid is yet to take place, but Sadiki is a name on Leeds’ radar this summer. Tavolieri, who reports for Sky Sports, has insisted that an offer has been made to only add to the headlines and belief that the 20-year-old midfielder could be on his way to Elland Road sooner or later.

Praised for an “excellent” performance against Ajax by U23 scout Antonio Mango last season, Sadiki is certainly one to watch this summer. Whether Leeds reported move is successful remains to be seen, however.