₦airaland Forum

Barcelona know that they need to reinforce their squad, but first they need to let the players go. That is why they have started the exit operation to sell the remaining players they have.

Several players have already left the club and have left money in the club's coffers. Barcelona expect to collect around 140 million euros for the player.

The first to officially pack his bags was Coutinho. Aston Villa executed the 20 million euros buyout clause to keep the Brazilian. . Ferran Jutgla also packed his bags, but to Brugge for five million euros.

Lenglet, meanwhile, has not left any money for his departure, as he has gone on loan to Tottenham. However, Barcelona will save part of the French player's salary.

The next to leave will be Francisco Trincao. The Portuguese will leave for Sporting CP on loan, so he will not leave money this season. He will do so next season, with a compulsory buyout clause of 20 million euros.

Other players close to leaving the club are Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong. For the former, the Catalan club is asking 20 million euros; for the latter, 80 million euros, according to 'Sport'.

Mingueza, a percentage of the sale of Todibo, Dest, Riqui Puig, Neto or Umtiti are other names that can leave some money in Barcelona's coffers.

The 21-year-old was greeted by around 5,000 adoring City fans at the Etihad Stadium and did not hold back in his promise to help deliver more trophies after signing from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of 60 million euros (£51 million). Haaland had his pick of Europe's top clubs thanks to a buyout clause below his market value and a stunning record of 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund.

His statistics at Champions League level are even more impressive with 23 goals in just 19 appearances for Salzburg and Dortmund. City have won four Premier League titles in the last five seasons under Pep Guardiola, but the biggest prize in European football has continued to allude them.

"The Champions League is my favourite competition so I think you have the answer there," said Haaland on whether he can be the difference maker when it counts in Europe. Despite his goalscoring record, Haaland won only one trophy, the 2021 German Cup, during his time at Dortmund.

"Sometimes I see players posting photos with a trophy and I think 'I would love to be you right now'," he added. "I just have to keep working hard and, hopefully, in the future I will lift a couple of trophies."

Haaland has an emotional connection to City as his father Alf-Inge played for the club between 2000 and 2003. He said it was the experience of coming up against Guardiola's juggernaut in the Champions League quarter-finals last year that convinced him City should be his next destination.

"You can watch from TV, but when you are actually there you get a better feeling," said Haaland. "I didn't touch the ball for 25 minutes. I was like 'please (Ilkay) Gundogan stop playing 'tiki-taka'.

"It's a different level. How they approach the game, how they play, that's what I want to be a part of."

City also unveiled other new signings: Argentine forward Julian Alvarez and German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega on Sunday. The deal to bring Alvarez to Manchester was agreed in January, but he remained on loan at River Plate and equalled a Copa Libertadores record by scoring six goals in a single game in May.

Haaland's arrival is likely to block the 22-year-old's path to game time as a centre-forward, but said he is happy play across the forward line. Gabriel Jesus has already left City to join Arsenal and Raheem Sterling is on the verge of signing for Chelsea, which could offer Alvarez more opportunities from a wide area.

"I know Erling is a great player. He has scored a lot of goals, but I have come to do my thing," said Alvarez. "I can play in different positions." Ortega will provide back up to first-choice goalkeeper Ederson after joining on a free transfer. Haaland failed to score against Ortega during their time together in the Bundesliga, but the former Arminia Bielefied stopper hailed the Norwegian's physical development into a "monster."

"His transformation is outstanding," said Ortega. "When I first played against him he was a kind of skinny kid. Now he is a monster with this size, speed, this quality in the shootings and headers. He is the full package of what you can get."

The Red Devils' pre-season has started, although not for everyone. For the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo has not appeared alongside his teammates in training, a clear sign that his future is far from Manchester.

Following this tug-of-war, 'The Sun' claims that United will listen to Cristiano's wishes to leave. They will not stand in the way of him leaving Old Trafford despite the fact that his contract does not expire until 2023.

Although United were initially confident of convincing Cristiano to stay, the board now believe there is nothing to be done. The board understands that the Portuguese is thinking of leaving and the best thing to do, at this point, is to let him go.

Erik Ten Hag said he would like to have Cristiano for the 22-23 season. After discussing the issue with the board, according to the British newspaper, the manager has also conceded to the Portuguese's departure.

And his next destination, adds 'Marca', could be in the Premier League. According to the Spanish media, Todd Boehly, Chelsea's new owner, is looking for a star signing and Cristiano could be the one.

The striker is willing to do anything to leave United. It remains to be seen whether, as 'The Sun' reports, United will give in and, in any case, whether an offer from Stamford Bridge arrives at Old Trafford.

Galtier, who left PSG's Ligue 1 rivals Nice last month, has signed a two-year deal at the Parc des Princes with the French champions confirming the appointment shortly after announcing Pochettino's departure.

"Yes, I am emotional, yes I am proud," Galtier said at a press conference in the French capital. "I realise full well the responsibility that has been given to me but I have prepared for this. I wouldn't have accepted this job if I didn't think I was capable of it."

Galtier may not be as well-known internationally as some of the other names who had been linked with the PSG job, most notably Zinedine Zidane, but he has an outstanding reputation in France where he won the Ligue 1 title with Lille last year. He insisted he was not afraid of making his mark on a PSG dressing room full of star names even beyond Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

"It is a privilege to have a dressing room full of world-class players," he said. "You have to talk with them but also impose yourself. There can be no compromises. We must have a common project but there will not be a revolution. I am going to observe and listen, and I know I will have the backing of the management if there is a player who doesn't fall in line with the project of the club."

'Never spoke to Zidane'
PSG's move for Galtier had been an open secret for several weeks and club president Nasser al-Khelaifi dismissed any suggestions he had initially wanted to appoint Zinedine Zidane.

"We never spoke to Zidane. I love him as a player and as a coach but for all the respect I have for him we never spoke with him," Khelaifi said. "Christophe Galtier was always the first choice for us. He is here and I hope that is the last question on the matter."

Galtier is PSG's seventh coach since the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 and will be hoping to become the first to deliver success in the Champions League. The 55-year-old has developed a reputation as the leading coach in the French club game over the last decade. He enjoyed eight successful years at Saint-Etienne, where he won the League Cup in 2013, before a four-year stint at Lille was crowned with the Ligue 1 title in 2021, when they pipped PSG.

He left Lille in the wake of that success and joined ambitious Nice, who are owned by Ineos, the group chaired by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. Galtier led Nice to fifth place in Ligue 1 last season as well as to the French Cup final, which they lost to Nantes. The former Portsmouth assistant manager previously worked with Luis Campos, the Portuguese super scout who was recently named as PSG's football advisor and who built the Lille team that won the league under Galtier.

A sell-out crowd of 71,000 will watch the hosts kick the tournament off at Old Trafford, breaking the attendance record for a match at a women's European Championship by over 30,000 in the process.

That record will be short-lived with over 87,000 tickets sold for the final at Wembley on July 31.

After three consecutive semi-final defeats in major tournaments, the pressure is on England to make home advantage count.

However, much has changed since losing in the last four to eventual winners the USA at the World Cup three years ago.

The major difference is Wiegman, the meticulous Dutch coach who led her native country to Euro glory on home soil five years ago.

A delay to the Tokyo Olympics, where Wiegman took the Netherlands to the quarter finals, meant England had to wait over a year for the 52-year-old to assume the role.

But she has proved more than worth the wait in a 14-game unbeaten run since taking charge.

England have hit 84 goals and conceded just three in that time, including victory against Germany and a 5-1 thrashing of the Netherlands last month.

"England will be favourites in the Euros," Netherlands boss Mark Parsons said after his side's humbling at Elland Road.

"The quality of players, the home crowd, the resources the Women's Super League has been putting in, the work the clubs have been doing -- it all comes together and it's very hard to see they're not favourites."

- 'Bit of class' -
Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Jill Scott and Ellen White form the old guard that have gone so close to major tournament success in the past.

But the squad has also evolved significantly since the 2019 World Cup to blend youth and experience together.

Leah Williamson played only six minutes in France three years ago but has succeeded Steph Houghton as captain under Wiegman.

And there is an array of fresh attacking talent, including Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo.

"There's something different about this team now. They've got a little bit of class," said former England international Karen Carney.

"This is such a promising period for England. The manager really is top drawer."

If they are to go all the way, strength in depth is likely to make the difference.

In all three warm-up games against Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the scores were level after 50 minutes only for England to strike a combined 11 times in the closing stages once Wiegman emptied her bench.

"We don't play with 11 players, we have so many more in our squad and can make a change in the second half," said Wiegman.

"I think we're in a very good place but that'll show in the Euros. These are all friendlies, it's very nice to learn from it but it really starts next Wednesday."

A group containing Austria and tournament debutants Northern Ireland, both of whom the Lionesses have recently swept aside in World Cup qualifying, should not pose any major obstacles to reaching the quarter-finals.

The real test will come in the knockout stages with England likely to face one of tournament favourites Spain, eight-time winners Germany or 2017 finalists Denmark in the last eight.
Everywhere they go, capacity crowds are likely to follow with all three of their group games already sold out.

But with the attention also comes expectation to end England's wait for a major title in the women's game.

Barcelona have already signed their first defender for the 2022-23 season. The team, led by Xavi, has made the signing of center-back Andreas Christensen official, with a contract until 2026.

The Dane joins 'los cules' on a free transfer, after finishing his contract on the 30th June with Chelsea. The 'blues' were unable to retain an important player for themselves.

This was a signing that had been in the works for several months. Since January 1, Christensen was able to negotiate with any team that he liked. Inter Milan and Bayern Munich wanted him, but in the end it was Barcelona who won the race.

Christensen has signed four year deal. He joins a backline of Gerard Piqué, Ronald Araujo, Eric García, Samuel Umtiti and Clément Lenglet, pending the departure of some of them.

Andreas Christensen has spent his entire career playing for Chelsea. He came to London as a 17 year-old from Brondby, and his native Denmark, and from then has grown at Stamford Bridge.

It was briefly interrupted due to a two season loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he ended his ascent into the European footballing elite.

"I was training with Chelsea and Aston Villa at the same time, and other clubs also wanted me to train with them. I kept comparing the other clubs to Chelsea, and I realized I was comparing them because it was the place where I wanted to go", Christensen said, on why he chose Chelsea.

He won it all in his youth days, with success in the Youth League, then called the Next Gen Series, with Chelsea. There began the legend of a player who has grown up around Stamford Bridge.

His stint in Germany was the gap year that every young person needs to grow. "I think I was very lucky, it was similar to what I had in England and that helped me. In Germany, I improved individually. We had a strong team and the way we played was very attacking, so that prepared me," he stated.

Gary Cahill's departure gave him the opportunity to break into the first team. Antonio Conte was key in him becoming a regular starter for the London club.

Now, after a decade at Chelsea, Andreas Christensen says goodbye to what has been his professional home all his life. He now joins Barcelona, who signed him for free.

"I am fully convinced that this club is perfect for me," Chiellini said in his first official press conference for LAFC, flashing his new No. 14 jersey.

LAFC have yet to win a major honor since joining MLS as an expansion team in 2018.

They currently lead the league with 33 points from 16 matches, and are clearly doing all they can to ensure they stay on top.

Since announcing the acquisition of Chiellini two weeks ago, the club have confirmed the imminent arrival of Wales captain Gareth Bale on a 12-month contract that features options through 2024.

Meanwhile, longtime franchise cornerstone Carlos Vela has agreed to an extension through the 2023 season.

Chiellini, 37, said he believed he had plenty to contribute to the young side, and that his homework had convinced him that he would find MLS a worthy occupation.

"I spoke with Andrea (Pirlo) and Alessandro Nesta and they always talk very well about this league," he said. "Surely there are some differences.

"It's a different football from the Italian (league) but every team has its own style.

"This team is perfect for me because is full of young players and they can also help me," he said. "It's impossible for me to have the same physical characteristics I had 10 years ago, but I can bring something to them. We have to create a good mix of experience and enthusiasm to became a winning group."

Chiellini said he'd watched MLS develop for years as he spent holidays in the United States.

"I don't know what will happen in the next months, but I am sure that will be something that I'll remember for the rest of my life," he said. "Los Angeles is a fantastic city that I'm very curious to live in."

Chiellini left Juve at the end of last season after 18 years at the club, during which time he won nine league titles and four Italian Cups, and twice reached the Champions League final.

He quit international football at the start of the month after being capped 117 times for his country and winning Euro 2020 last summer.

The centre-back was hoping to take part in one more World Cup, but Italy missed out on the 2022 tournament in Qatar, hastening his departure.

After the departure of Pogba from Manchester United intend to add a big name signing to strengthen their squad ahead of next season. Their main target is Frenkie de Jong.

Last week, it was reported that the English club had offered 85 million euros for the central midfielder. However, the Dutchman intends to stay at Barcelona and reject the offer.

The 'red devils' have begun looking for an alternative if they are unable to finalise De Jong's transfer. 'The Daily Mirror' confirmed that United's board are interested in another talented player.

This time, it is Youri Tielemans, the 25 year-old who is coming off the back of a good season at Leicester City. The Belgian's play is attracting interest from a number of big clubs, including United.

If United fail to sign De Jong, the English side will look to sign Tielemans, who is valued at 54.4 million euros, according to 'BeSoccer Pro'.

Sell-out crowds for the opening game between England and Austria at Old Trafford and the final at Wembley will see the record crowd for a match at a women's European Championship broken twice.

However, in between those two landmark events on July 6 and 31, the other 29 games will be played in much smaller stadiums.

The selection of Manchester City's 4,400 capacity Academy Stadium for three group matches was branded "embarrassing" and "disrespectful" by Iceland midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir.

The 7,800-capacity Leigh Sports Village will also host four matches, including a quarter-final.

Ticket sales are inching towards a combined half a million, more than double the total attendance for the last women's Euro in the Netherlands five years ago.

But there are still over 200,000 tickets up for sale and Kessler admitted venue choices had to be based in "reality" to create the best atmosphere possible inside the stadiums.

"We feel like still it's the right decision," Kessler told AFP.

"I always say whilst trying to have the greatest ambition we also can't lose the reality and I'm referring to the past. At our last women's Euro we had 5,000 spectators on average, if we don't count the Netherlands matches.

"If you increase the tournament capacity from 430,000 to 720,000, then I don't think you can say the tournament organisers have not enough ambition."

- 'Visible difference' to 2017 -

The tournament had been due to take place in 2021, but was delayed 12 months due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the football calendar.

Covid-19 halted some of the momentum of the women's game after a record-breaking 2019 World Cup in terms of viewing figures.

But the five years since the last Euro have still been transformative for the women's game.

Kessler was behind a major change to the women's Champions League with a group stage introduced for the first time last season.

Money has flowed in from new sponsors, television rights deals and clubs now prepared to spend big on improving the standards of their women's teams.

"My expectation is really high, I expect a visible difference to 2017," added Kessler on what to expect on the pitch.

"I felt this already when I watch some domestic football but also throughout the Champions League season.

"Both showed that in many countries there is a big improvement in what happened with the whole professionalisation and standards around the teams increasing.

"It's only logical that you can see the results also on the pitch."

Kessler was part of the Germany side that won the Euro in 2013 - one of the eight times Die Nationalelf have won the tournament in 12 editions.

However, it is hosts England and Spain that are the pre-tournament favourites as they look to win a women's major tournament for the first time.

France, holders the Netherlands and Olympic silver medallists Sweden are realistic contenders, while Norway's Ada Hegerberg and Denmark captain Pernille Harder will also arm their nations with two of the world's top strikers.

"It's good that so many contenders, so many teams, have even declared ambitions publicly that they all want to go for it," said Kessler.

"The top of the pyramid became a bit wider. That's exactly what we need also to create more interest."

Bale confirmed his plans on social media over the weekend after his departure from Spanish giants Real Madrid. "I am extremely excited for this move to LAFC," Bale said. "This is the right place for me and my family and the right time in my career and I cannot wait to get started working with the team and getting ready to win more trophies in Los Angeles." The 32-year-old forward, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner, spent nine years with Real Madrid.

"Gareth is one of the most dynamic and exciting players of his generation," LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said. "Adding a player who brings his talent and experience at the highest levels is an incredible opportunity to improve our club. It's clear that Gareth is highly motivated to continue to win trophies and we are elated that he has made the choice to join LAFC and help lead us in our ultimate goal of winning championships."

Bale has made 105 appearances for Wales since 2006, scoring 28 goals and contributing 22 assists. He sparked Wales into this year's Qatar World Cup, their first appearance in 64 years. The Cardiff native made his professional debut at age 16 in 2006 for Southampton in the English Championship before joining Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, scoring 42 goals in 146 appearances through 2013, when he joined Real Madrid. With the La Liga club, Bale scored 106 goals and assisted on 67 others in 258 appearances as Real Madrid made a stunning trophy haul, collecting hardware 19 times.

"There are simply not many players in the world who can have an impact on a match like Gareth Bale," LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. "He can be dangerous in so many different ways and we expect him to complement what we believe is already a strong team from the moment he arrives. His knowledge of the game and experience in playing in big games will be invaluable for our club."

Bale is expected to attend an LAFC home match on Wednesday against Dallas and a likely debut match would be the Black and Gold's July 8 home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the local derby. The Welshman joins an LAFC club that tops the league with 33 points and a 10-3-3 record to set the pace in the Western Conference by four points over Real Salt Lake.

Jude Bellingham remains one of the most sought-after players in the transfer market. The 18-year-old English midfielder is on Liverpool's agenda, one of the clubs most interested in signing him.

But the Reds are not the only ones after the Borussia Dortmund player, with whom he has a contract until mid-2025. Real Madrid are still looking at the young England international to strengthen their midfield.

The 'AS' newspaper highlights on the front page on Monday 27th June that the 'Merengues', who had initially put 90 million euros on the German player's table, could wait until the summer of 2023 to make a bid for his signing.

Just a few days ago, the 'Bild' newspaper reported that the Englishman is worth 100 million euros, a figure that is non-negotiable for the German club, who will not accept a single euro less than that amount to let their highly-rated player leave.

Liverpool would be willing to offer that amount for the promising British player, a figure that, at the moment, Madrid are not prepared to pay. 'Los Blancos' prefer to wait until next year, when Bellingham will be 19 years old and will have the experience of the World Cup in Qatar.

Mario Gotze has all the qualities to return to the Germany squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, according to former Die Mannschaft coach Joachim Low.

Gotze has won 63 caps for his country and scored an extra-time winner against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final as Germany lifted the trophy for a fourth time.

The creative midfielder has not appeared for the national side since November 2017, though, when he appeared as a second-half substitute in a friendly against France. That is due to a lack of club success for the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich star, who has traded PSV for Eintracht Frankfurt in a reported €4million move to the Europa League winners.

Appearing in the Champions League for Eintracht, alongside returning to the Bundesliga, the 30-year-old will be hopeful of making his way back into the fold for Germany. Low, who guided Germany to that World Cup triumph in the crowning achievement of his 15-year tenure, says Gotze has the talent to earn a place in Hansi Flick's Die Mannschaft team before the 2022 tournament in Qatar in November.

"He has all the qualities for it," Low told Sky in Germany. "He will play in the Champions League again, he is the focus here in the Bundesliga and wants to impress for the World Cup."

Gotze scored 12 goals and added 11 assists across all competitions for PSV in the 2021-22 season, playing in 52 games, with reports linking him to Serie A champions Milan.

Eintracht swooped in as Oliver Glasner looked to bolster his squad to compete in Europe, but the Germany international's arrival came as a surprise to Low.

"Of course I didn't expect Mario to return to Germany, not at this point in time," he added. "But I'm very happy for Mario and Eintracht. Mario is an exceptional player, very professional and with his great playing intelligence, he fits in very well with Eintracht."

Despite PSG's intentions, it seems like Vinicius' new contract at Real Madrid will end up happening. That is what you can deduce from the Brazilian's comments. He is only thinking about staying "at the greatest club in the world."

The striker spoke to the programme 'Bem, Amigos!' on 'GloboEsporte' and he was very clear over his future. "I want to stay at the greatest club in the world. We have the most united team since I arrived. We all feel something special. The celebrations this year have been special, different."

His contract expires on 30th June 2024, but his meteoric rise ast season will force Madrid to renew him earlier than planned. His salary, currently four million euros a year, will be improved and the former Flamengo man's contract will be extended until 2027.

Vinicius also has words for some of his teammates and for Carlo Ancelotti. He emphasised how fond he is of him: "He always tries to help us, give us information and confidence." In addition, he remembered getting "help from experienced players," in reference to Marcelo, Casemiro and Benzema.

He also spoke about Benzema and the incident in Gladbach during the 2020-21 Champions League season when the Frenchman was spotted criticising Vinicius. "The next day, he came to speak to me to clear everything up. I took it well. He's told me that he wants to face Brazil in the World Cup final," the Brazilian, who was under fire at the time, said.

Lastly, the Brazilian national team was brought up in the interview: "It's the best environment in the world. Everyone wants to be there, the most experienced players keep us calm and give us freedom for us to do what we want on the field of play."

"When there's a match, Ancelotti and Tite always talk. I'm better at Real Madrid and Tite asks Carlo how I could help in the national team. They get on well and understand each other," Vinicius added on the two coaches to conclude.

Mohamed Salah has achieved "nothing" with Egypt and the Liverpool star must raise his level when featuring for the national team, according to former Pharaohs coach Hassan Shehata.

In response, Egypt's former sports and youth minister Khaled Abdel Aziz defended the forward, calling him a wonderful ambassador and unifying figure for the country.

Salah scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions for Liverpool as they won the EFL and FA Cups last season, also finishing as runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.

But the forward experienced a more frustrating campaign on the international front, as Egypt lost the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties to Senegal in February and suffered the same fate in March's crucial World Cup qualification play-off – with Salah missing from the spot in the latter contest.

Those disappointing results have led Shehata, who coached Egypt from 2004 to 2011 and won consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010, to call for improvements from Salah.

"We all know that Salah is one of the stars of the world and not just one of the stars of Egypt," he told Sada al-Balad. "The awards he took and the goals he scored give him the right to be the top star.

"But technically, and I'm sorry to say this, Salah has done nothing with the national team. He should have done much better than he has. He must provide more when he plays for his country."

However, Shehata did admit Salah was playing with inferior players when joining up with the national team, and said it was up to coaches to get the best from the 30-year-old after Egypt put in a series of dull displays at this year's Cup of Nations.

"It's true [that there is a difference in quality compared to Liverpool]," Shehata said. "He should have said this to the officials here - although he is not the one who chooses the players - but he should've said that the players here are not like the players in England."

Shehata's criticisms have not gone unnoticed in Egypt, with the country's former sports minister Aziz defending Salah's role on and off the pitch.

"Mohamed Salah was one of the most important soft forces that returned life in Egypt to normal after the [2013] June 30 revolution," he wrote on Twitter, alongside an image of himself with the Liverpool star.

"He was a wonderful global ambassador for his country in a difficult political period and led the national team to the World Cup after 28 years [in 2018].

"And despite the suspension of the league [after deaths occurred amid stadium violence in 2015] and then the league of the two groups, he led the team to the final of Africa [Cup of Nations] 2017 after three consecutive times we did not qualify at all."

Egypt are seeking their third head coach of the calendar year after sacking Ehab Galal after only three games at the helm last week, just two months on from Carlos Queiroz quitting the role.

Edin Dzeko is the favourite to become Karim Benzema's back up at Real Madrid. He has a proven track record, has an eye for goal, is cheap and is happy to accept being the number two behind Benzema.

According to 'Sport', the option of the Bosnian, if they decide to sign a player, is once Madrid will seriously consider. He lost his place in the Inter starting XI, but still managed to score 17 goals. He has a good reputation, his numbers back him up and he would not cost much money. They are qualities whicvh make him attractive to Carlo Ancelotti.

At the age of 36. he is coming towards the end of his career and, at this stage, a club like Madrid coming onto the scene could be very tempting. This season, his first at Inter after six successful seasons at Roma (116 goals in 260 matches), he gradually lost importance in the starting XI as time went on. However, he still played 3342 minutes in 49 appearances, 38 of them as a starter.

Furthermore, Romelu Lukaku's return to the Giuseppe Meazza is almost a done deal. And the Bosnian striker moved to Inter to cover the absence of the Belgian who is about to return to the Italians on loan.

Valencia have also been linked with Dzeko who is not the only option for Real Madrid in attack. In fact, Real Madrid, before deciding whether to make a signing, will reportedly weigh up the options of Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, Borja Mayoral and academy player Juan Miguel Latasa to see whether they have enough cover for Benzema.
Valencia have also been linked with Dzeko who is not the only option for Real Madrid in attack. In fact, Real Madrid, before deciding whether to make a signing, will reportedly weigh up the options of Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, Borja Mayoral and academy player Juan Miguel Latasa to see whether they have enough cover for Benzema.

Rudiger has moved to the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer after choosing not to extend his Chelsea contract. The 29-year-old defender has signed a four-year deal with the reigning Spanish and European champions. Rudiger, speaking at his presentation ceremony at the club's training ground in Valdebebas, said he made his decision in April, after a conversation with the Italian coach.

"The first time I got in contact, not really me, my agent, was early September. The second time, I spoke with Mr Ancelotti, that was in April," Rudiger said. "That was the most important moment, to speak with Mr Ancelotti. That was when I made my choice, that I wanted to play for this club under him. He said he wanted me, trusted in my abilities, that I could be very helpful to the team, and at my age, that's enough. At the end of the day, it's Mr Ancelotti. You always know at Madrid that nothing is guaranteed. You have to fight for your place. I'm ready to do that."

As well as turning down the chance to stay at Chelsea, Rudiger said there was also interest in him from Barcelona. "There was interest from Barcelona but I told my brother, it's Real or nothing," Rudiger said. The German will be competing with Eder Militao and David Alaba for a spot in Madrid's central defence next season, although Ancelotti could also switch to a back three in defence to accommodate an impressive trio of options.

'Stacked'

After the departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane last year, Militao and Alaba formed a superb partnership, becoming an essential part of Madrid's success last term. "Real Madrid is stacked with very, very good players, also in my position," said Rudiger. "But I'm looking confidently going into this. What do I bring? Competition, which is healthy for everyone. It keeps everyone going and I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Rudiger became known at Chelsea for his combative style and dynamic displays in the Premier League. He pledged to be a leader in the Real Madrid dressing room. "With me you never know what to expect off the pitch. I like to laugh, I like to dance," said Rudiger. "But on the pitch I'm serious. I don't like to joke around. I hope what I can bring is my fighting spirit, leadership. Rome wasn't built in a day. I have to come here, adapt, speak Spanish. I will do my best."

Asked if there were any Real Madrid defenders he particularly admired, Rudiger said: "There have been a lot of top centre-backs but one I liked a lot was Pepe. Apparently off the pitch a very nice person, but on the pitch, a monster. I like that," Rudiger said.

Rudiger was on the pitch, and scored, as Chelsea led 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in April, only for Real Madrid to pull off an incredible comeback to reach the Champions League semi-finals. "It was a very intense night, it was my first time at the Bernabeu," Rudiger said. "What Madrid did last year in the Champions League, that was... I don't know how to describe it, unbelievable."

Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final in Paris, to lift the club's 14th European Cup. "In the final, I knew I was going to be a Real Madrid player and I was rooting for them," Rudiger added. "I lost two finals against Liverpool with my former team so I was very happy that Real beat them."

For the first time in more than a decade, Marcelo can decide his future without hurrying. The Brazilian has already said goodbye to Real Madrid as the club's most decorated player and is looking for a new destination.

His friend Ronaldo's Valladolid were the first to show interest in signing the left-back, along with Dani Alves. Now it is Milan who have gone one step further.

'AS' reported that the 'Rossoneri' have made Marcelo an offer to join the Serie A champions for next season.

However, Marcelo has rejected that offer. The Italian side guaranteed him three million euros a year, something the Brazilian has not accepted.

Despite all this, the Italian side will push again and make a new offer to Marcelo, who is taking his time to choose the team where he wants to continue his career.

Romelu Lukaku is unlikely to play for Chelsea next season. The Belgian striker joined from Inter last summer for 115 million euros, but has failed to gel well in Tuchel's side and has been in the background.

The latest rumours spoke of a return to the 'Nerazzurri' team in the form of a loan deal. The Italians offered ten million euros plus variables that could reach 15 million euros with the variables. Something that the English club would have already accepted.

Fabrizio Romano, a journalist and expert on the transfer market, has shared information from Mateo Barzaghi of 'Sky Sports' that Inter have given the go-ahead for the move. All that remains is for the owners to give the green light to the move.

His 15 goals at Stamford Bridge cannot compare with the 30 goals and eleven assists he scored in Milan. The Belgian striker will be looking to shine on the pitch again in a league like Serie A that suits him to a tee.

PSG did not announce Leonardo's exit from the club. This was part of the agreement made between the sporting director and the club as a show of respect for the ex footballer. The Brazilian did not want to leave but ultimately, he was shown the door.

Leonardo has assured that his relationship with the club has always "been filled with too much emotion" but he leaves "we zero bitterness". However, the ex sporting director has his own views on certain things regarding his exit.

He spent no time in touching on the most important subject of Mbappe's renewal. Leonardo said that his exit was not a condition of the forward's contract extension deal.

"They didn't say this to me, but I don't want to talk about these things. Keeping a player of that standard at PSG is important. Judging is easier than making a decision", he said.

Leonardo also confessed that he would have continued working at the club: "Things happen and unexpected situations occur. When we parted ways the communication wasn't great. The exit hurt me a little, I suppose".

"You don't regret anything at first because you only know you've gone wrong in hindsight. You make thousands of decisions in football, because of this I was never worried about doing absolutely everything correctly", he continued.

On not selling enough players, Leonardo argued that you cannot always have everything and that PSG "take investment risks". "It wasn't the best moment for sales because no one was able to buy, but honestly, I don't believe I was fired for not selling", he added.

In conclusion, Leonardo summed up his achievements during his time at the club, recalling "a Champions League final, national titles and signing Messi".

Pep Guardiola believes Kalvin Phillips is the player he needs to complete a promising squad, especially after the signing of Erling Haaland. But negotiations with Leeds United are not going smoothly.

'The Athletic' reports that Manchester City have offered 60 million euros for the England international, an offer that will have to be assessed by his parent club in the coming days.

The Etihad Stadium are hoping that this offer will be definitive in order to carry out one of the biggest deals in English football this summer. Kalvin Phillips, moreover, is clear.

The English player himself is pushing his club to let him leave for that amount. The ball is in Leeds United's court, who will have to decide whether to let one of their key players go... or to keep him against his will.

A short time ago, Lukaku surprised everyone and expressed his desire to leave Chelsea and return to Inter Milan. The Belgian said he was not happy at the London club and wanted to return to Italian football, where he was at his best.

Faced with this situation, the Milanese club's board began negotiations with the London club to try to repatriate Lukaku for next season, and it seems that in the coming hours it will be confirmed...

According to what 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' reported, the agreement between Italian and English is practically closed and the Belgian striker will return to Inter. Only a few details remain to be finalised before the announcement is official.

The aforementioned media outlet reports that the difference that separates Lukaku from Inter is five million euros. However, in Italy they are optimistic and believe that in the next few hours they will have everything agreed to keep the services of the attacker, on loan for a season and a price that would reach 25 million for Chelsea.

In this way, the former Manchester United player will return to the Italian city to join the 'neroazzurro', where he will once again share the front line with Lautaro Martinez, while waiting for Paulo Dybala to join the squad.

Liverpool now have the striker they were looking for in the market. After negotiations and verbal agreements with Benfica, Darwin Nunez will play at Anfield from next season. The 22-year-old could become the club's record signing, with the fee rising to a potential £85m with add-ons.

In this way, Jurgen Klopp has already closed his front line for next season. With Luis Diaz having landed on his feet after his transfer from Porto and with an imperial Mohamed Salah returning to lead the team, the Merseyside outfit have completed their attacking partnership with the Uruguayan.

Nunez arrives at Anfield after two seasons in Portugal with Benfica, where he scored 48 goals from his 85 appearances in all competitions. The 22-year-old has also earned 11 senior caps for Uruguay to date, after making an international debut in October 2019.

Undoubtedly, he is one of the strikers with a promising future and the big teams in Europe have tried to sign him. However, it has been Liverpool who have acquired the services of the Uruguayan and rejuvenated their forward line.

“I’m really happy and delighted to be here at Liverpool. It’s a massive club,” Nunez told Liverpool media in his first interview.

“I’d like to thank my partner and my parents and my son, who is a real source of pride for me. They’ve been really important to me in the stages in my career. I’m really proud of them, and for the work we do, me and my partner, as a team and I’m grateful to her that I’m here.

Despite the fact most of the latest football news is about Haaland, Mbappe and Benzema, there are strikers who have always been in the news, rightly or wrongly. And Morata is one of those.

It is not the first time the attacker has been criticised for his lack of goals, although the reality is that he is still good inside the area. And if not, you can ask Luis Enrique, who still counts on him in the line-up.

The Spaniard once again showed his worth after his good performances for Spain. He has a total of 26 goals in 53 matches and he is now the seventh highest goalscorer in Spain history, now ahead of Butragueno.

The number 9 still does not know where he is going to play next season although he is not impatient: "I've got quite a lot of options. It does not depend on me. I can only work very hard and see what happens," he said in a press conference.

Juventus told Atletico Madrid that they were not going to pay his buyout clause of around 35 million euros for the striker and that he would leave once his loan spell ended. That means Morata will have to return to Atletico in July. Nevertheless, this does not mean that he will be at the Wanda.

His previous departure did not go down at all well with Atletico fans or with the coach. Everything seems to indicate that Simeone will go for Griezmann, Cunha or a Correa who also has offers.

Morata has every chance of being Luis Enrique's number 9 for the World Cup is nothing goes wrong. The striker is a different player when he plays in Spain and he has shown that in recent matches. However, at Juventus, he has not been as decisive: he has scored just 12 goals in 48 encounters.

The battle begins to get hold of the Spaniard's services. He is not impatient at all and he has offers on the table. Barcelona themselves had shown interest in him although money was once again the main stumbling block. A summer with lots of twists and turns lies ahead and it could lead to the striker moving to an unexpected destination.

After winning La Liga last month with four games to spare, Madrid are now in the hunt for their fifth Champions League triumph in nine years in Paris.

It would be only the fifth time in the club's history Real Madrid have won the Spanish league title and the European Cup in the same season.

Ancelotti has made history himself as the only manager to reach a fifth Champions League final, which seemed unlikely when he was in charge of struggling Everton in the Premier League last season.

"This year feels like a long time, it gives me vertigo thinking about being in this final," said Ancelotti in a press conference on Friday.

"But I take it in my stride because it's a success for us. We know the history of this club and to get here is very important, it has been a very good season for us.

"We are very close to achieving the maximum and we will try. This team manages these types of games well. The veterans help the youngsters to play in an atmosphere of calm, enthusiasm and confidence."

Real Madrid are chasing a record-extending 14th European Cup at the Stade de France and boast an incredible record in European finals, having won all of their last seven.

One of those came against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in 2014, when Thibaut Courtois, now Real Madrid's goalkeeper, was on the losing side.

"We know when Real Madrid play in finals they win them and now I'm on the right side of that," said Courtois.

Liverpool had a fairly kind route through the knock-out stages, as they defeated Inter Milan, Benfica and then Villarreal to reach the final while Real Madrid had one of the toughest routes possible, as they staged incredible comebacks to beat Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.

'We deserve to reach final'
Ancelotti said Real Madrid's history has given them an edge in the pressure moments.

"We deserved to reach the final because of quality but also talent is not enough," said Ancelotti.

"You have to bring everyone's talent together to make a team that is together and committed. And then as well the history of this club has pushed us in difficult moments. To win we will have to deserve it tomorrow."

Karim Benzema has also been pivotal to Real Madrid's progress, the Frenchman scoring 10 times in the knock-out rounds, including three goals against PSG, four against Chelsea and three against City.

The 34-year-old has 15 in the whole competition, putting him only two short of equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's 17, the record for a player in a single Champions League tournament.

"He pushes the team to victory even when we're in trouble," said Courtois. "He never stops running. When we're being tested, when it's challenging, we've seen what he's made of this season."

"He's a leader in the team," added Marcelo. "He shows it with his character, his presence."

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp had earlier expressed concern with the pitch for the final, saying the new surface, which was installed on Thursday, is "obviously not the best news for both teams".

Ancelotti downplayed the issue. "I knew they were going to change it but we haven't trained there yet," he said. "I don't think it will be a problem."

The 21-year-old, who worked under Leeds boss Jesse Marsch during his time in charge at the Austrian club, will formally complete his move to Elland Road for an undisclosed fee on July 1st.

"Leeds United are delighted to announce an agreement with Red Bull Salzburg for the transfer of Brenden Aaronson, which will be completed on July 1st, 2022," the Yorkshire club said in a statement.

"The 21-year-old will join for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract, running until the summer of 2027. The transfer is subject to the necessary international clearance and a work permit."

Aaronson made 41 appearances in all competitions for Salzburg in the 2021/22 season as they won the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup.

Leeds finished 17th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone after winning at Brentford in a dramatic final-day escape.

Salah's contract expires at the end of next season and talks over a new deal have dragged on for months without a resolution. However, ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid, Salah said his full focus is on winning the biggest prize in European football for the second time.

"I don't want to talk about the contract. I'm staying next season for sure, let's see after that," said Salah at Liverpool's pre-match media day on Wednesday. In my mind I don't focus about the contract. I don't want to be selfish, it's about the team. It's a really important week for us, I want to see Hendo (Jordan Henderson) having the trophy again in his hands."

Salah's fellow forward Sadio Mane also refused to commit his long-term future to Liverpool. Senegal international Mane is out of contract in 2023 and has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich.

"This question (about my future) I will answer after Champions League," Mane told Sky Sports. "If I'm staying or not, I'm going to answer after Champions League."

Eight Feyenoord fans were arrested for battering an Albanian man with a chair when he showed his support for the Roma team, and he had to be taken to hospital, police said in a statement.

A group of around 200 Feyenoord fans also clashed with police while trying to reach the area where Roma fans were located.

Supporters of the Italian club also attacked authorities with sticks and stones.

"Ten police officers were injured and a police bus was damaged by these 'acts of violence'," the police said.

Rival fans clashed in at least three locations in Tirana, as seen by an AFP reporter.

A total of 60 supporters of both teams were arrested, said the police.

Although the venue for Wednesday's final, the National Arena in Tirana, has the capacity of only 21,000 seats, it is expected that a total of around 100,000 fans of both teams will come to the Albanian capital for the game.

According to local authorities, fans will be divided into separate fan zones and will be able to watch the final on giant TV screens.

Prior to the incidents, Albanian police said they have deployed 2,000 officers to ensure the match will be "transformed into a day of celebration".

The Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich and Barcelona soap opera continues to accumulate figures from the world of football who give their opinion on his possible departure from the Bavarian club. After Pini Zahavi, the Pole's agent, explained the breakdown of negotiations with Kahn and Salihamidzic, another club figure has spoken out.

This time it was Uli Hoeness, the honorary president, who was hard on the 'Cule' team in a interview with 'RTL': "Barcelona wants to sign Lewandowski when they had a debt of 1.3 billion euros six months ago. In Germany they would have been bankrupt a long time ago.

"The bankruptcy judge is knocking on their door and they are making a millionaire offer to a Bayern player," Hoeness said. He then made it clear again that he is tied to the club until 2023: "Robert is under contract. At the moment, no one at Bayern will let Lewandowski out of this contract."

"Obviously we haven't found a replacement so far, so our opinion is clear. If he stays, plays well and continues to feel comfortable in Germany with his family, maybe he will come in January and say: 'Wow, I really like it here, maybe I'll stay two or three more years!

The last few days have been very busy for Madrid, PSG and Mbappe. The French player saw his France team-mate Karim Benzema post a photo on Instagram that directly linked to him and he spoke about it on Monday.

It all happened before the official announcement of his renewal, as several Madrid players, not just Benzema, posted a 'storie' with their finger pointing at the Real Madrid crest and with a dot of light that meant nothing other than that Madrid is above all else.

Speaking to 'Le Parisien', Mbappe commented on what he thought of this reaction from the Madrid players: "I saw that almost all the Real Madrid players posted. You don't have to be too clever to understand that it comes from above, right?

As for Benzema, as there has been talk for months about their good relationship and that they would be a perfect fit at Madrid, the striker assured that he will explain everything to him: "When we meet, we will discuss it".

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to the media on Sunday after a 5-1 thrashing of Everton, but it was not enough to finish fourth. The Gunners, who missed the two previous chances they had to rely on themselves, are out of the Champions League after Tottenham did their job against relegated Norwich.

The Spanish coach wanted to highlight the good season, but the pain prevented him from making an objective analysis: "I can't evaluate the season now. I'm sorry. I'm still in a lot of pain from what happened on Monday (defeat to Newcastle) and I would like to evaluate properly what we have done. What I can guarantee you is that we have tried it as much as we can.

"I think we all know that. And you can see the reaction of the fans with the team, you can see what we have on the pitch and what this club had 10 or 20 years ago. We know where we have to go and we're not going to stop," he reflected on the reduced level of the squad compared to past and better times.

Arteta underlined his disappointment and regretted that "the miracle" did not happen, but recalled that, despite not reaching "the level", last year the Gunners would have entered the Champions League with this season's score: "I am extremely disappointed because we generated the expectations we wanted for this club, because it is what it deserves. In the end, we fell short and we have this feeling of guilt. Not reaching that level is painful.

"We did what we had to do. We knew it was out of our hands, we knew we needed a miracle and it didn't happen. That's the way it is. The standings don't lie at the end of the season. It's true that Chelsea qualified for the Champions League with 67 points, and we have 69 and we are out. But that's the level and the demand that the Premier League has now," he concluded.

Mbappe is expected to reveal in the coming days whether he will join Real Madrid or accept a lucrative offer to stay at PSG, with an announcement potentially being made in the hours after the French champions play their final game of the Ligue 1 season at home to Metz on Saturday. "I don't know what his decision is. I think it's a personal matter for Kylian and for the club," Pochettino said at a press conference ahead of the Metz match. There are lots of rumours going around but the player is the one who will have to talk about this. If I knew what his decision was I wouldn't be the one to talk about it."

Mbappe, who joined PSG from Monaco in 2017, last week won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year prize and comes into the final weekend of the season as the division's top scorer with 25 goals. Rumours are swirling in France and in Spain about when he will confirm where his next contract will be.

"Mbappe, end of the suspense on Sunday," claimed the headline in French sports daily L'Equipe on Friday. Pochettino said he hoped the 23-year-old would remain at PSG even if uncertainty surrounds the coach's own future despite the Argentine and his staff having a year left on their own deals. "I hope Kylian is still here for many years to come but I also can't lie. I don't know what is going to happen," he said. "We have a year left on our contracts so we will potentially be here next season. I just hope tomorrow (Saturday) we can enjoy celebrating the club's 10th league title."

One player who is definitely expected to move on is Angel di Maria, with the 34-year-old Argentine winger's own contract expiring and PSG understood to be happy for him to leave. PSG have cantered to the Ligue 1 title, equalling Saint-Etienne's French record for most league championships, but their season has been soured by defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 in early March.

The Parisians were 1-0 up away to Madrid an hour into the second leg thanks to a Mbappe goal, and led 2-0 on aggregate, only to implode and go out to a Karim Benzema hat-trick. "I hope the best is still to come. I think everyone at Paris Saint-Germain wants to win the Champions League. That has become an obsession for this club and I hope we can win it," Pochettino added. That spell in the second half in Madrid saw us not get the result we wanted and created lots of questions and emotions that we have not been able to control in recent months.

"Despite that the players deserve to be congratulated because they have shown the ability to lift themselves and finish the season."

The Mbappe saga is about to reach an end. After months and months of uncertainty, Kylian Mbappe has reportedly decided to turn down Real Madrid. 'Eurosport' says that he will renew at PSG.

It is still not official, but it could be shortly. According to 'L'Equipe', Mbappe could confirm his future this Sunday. Madrid's concern has become a nightmare because they have gone from "yes" to Real Madrid to "no" at the last minute.

'Eurosport' says that Mbappe is staying at the Parc des Princes and reveals the details of the move. In order to persuade him, PSG have promised 300 million as a renewal bonus. Added to that is the 100 million euros net he will get per season. An absolute fortune for the French youngster.

Madrid, according to this media outlet, think it is almost impossible to get Mbappe at the moment. Barring a late twist, Madrid have accepted they will have to get another attacker.

Sources close to PSG are those which have revealed the unbelievable sums of money being offered to Mbappe to renew. It has yet to be made official, but it is a major disappointment for the Spanish side.

There is disappointment at Real Madrid because they have been preparing for his signing for months. In any case, according to 'Eurosport', the club are right now focussed on the Champions League final and this will not distract them from their main focus: winning their 14th Champions League trophy.

If PSG put all their eggs in one basket to renew Mbappe, this media outlet says it is because of Erling Haaland's signing for Man City. The French side were weighing up the option of the Norwegian replacing Mbappe if the Frenchman went to the Bernabeu. However, as Haaland has now moved to Man City, the club have decided to splash out on trying to keep the goalscorer.

Despite the fact everyone says that Mbappe is closer to staying at PSG than signing for Real Madrid, something this saga has shown is that things can change very quickly. Only Mbappe can end the uncertainty.