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Newcastle looking at red-hot striker with 21 goals in 42 games

Exclusive: Arsenal had two transfer suitors for important squad player this summer, says Fabrizio Romano

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano responds to apparent Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid transfer hint

There has been a rise in such incidents involving football players. They often face a higher risk of house burglaries due to their public profiles and the perception of wealth associated with their careers.

The lifestyle and assets of these players are well-known, making them attractive targets for burglars seeking valuable possessions.

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Transfer news: Jadon Sancho, La Liga star to Man Utd, £65m Chelsea target latest, Osimhen Liverpool & more

Fabrizio Romano — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:16:23 +0000

Hello and welcome to today’s exclusive column for the Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe to unlock the complete version, and for more content from myself, Ben Jacobs, Jonathan Johnson and our other columnists.

Jadon Sancho – There is still no price for Sancho, it will be important to see if it’s a permanent transfer or a loan – they will be open to any opportunity, though of course they’d probably favour a permanent transfer. Still, they know that in January it won’t be easy to find someone willing to pay something in the region of, and this is just my opinion, £50-55m, is not going to be easy. There is no change at the moment, no apology from Sancho, so it looks 90% over between him and the club. It’s similar to the situation with Cristiano Ronaldo a year ago – it’s really complicated, and Erik ten Hag doesn’t want any difficulties like this inside the club – FULL STORY HERE

Takefusa Kubo – In terms of replacing Sancho, there have been reports about Takefusa Kubo and in my opinion he would be a fantastic option, Kubo is a top player. But I’m afraid there’s absolutely nothing concrete happening there from what I’m told. Kubo is a crucial player for Real Sociedad, also Real Madrid are still keeping an eye on him for the future. I’m not aware of any talk with other clubs at this stage, and I don’t think it’s one for January honestly – FULL STORY HERE

Kalvin Phillips – From speaking to sources, it’s very likely for Kalvin Phillips to leave Manchester City in the January transfer window. That’s the idea, that’s the feeling, because the player both in public and in private has been very clear that he wants to play as a starter – FULL STORY HERE

Kalvin Phillips in action for Manchester City

Ivan Toney – The feeling of sources is that Toney’s asking price could be around £60-65m – Brentford would ideally want more than this, but the feeling at the moment is that for that kind of price the deal could be done – FULL STORY HERE

Aaron Ramsdale – The Aaron Ramsdale situation could be one to keep open, but at the moment I’m not aware of any negotiations. The goalkeeper market is a bit different from outfield players – it’s not easy for a goalkeeper to find a top club who can guarantee playing time – FULL STORY HERE

Cole Palmer – Chelsea deserve immense credit for the signing of Cole Palmer, because he’s been fantastic. West Ham and Brighton also wanted Palmer this summer, but Chelsea were ready to pay a big amount of money to Man City to make it happen, and it made the difference. For me, Palmer was also absolutely ready to play at Manchester City’s level too, but City have so many top players and so it’s understandable that they decided to sell when the right offer came in – FULL STORY HERE

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Newcastle looking at red-hot striker with 21 goals in 42 games

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Victor Osimhen – Despite rumours, I can 100% guarantee that Victor Osimhen has not agreed anything with Liverpool or any club. He’s not negotiating any contract or salary with any other club, even if there is interest from around Europe, which is normal. Still, it’s also true that Osimhen has not agreed anything with Napoli, despite receiving a contract proposal which was the biggest in Napoli’s history – FULL STORY HERE

Assan Ouedraogo – There have been reports about Liverpool being keen on Schalke youngster Assan Ouedraogo, and yes it’s true that Liverpool like him – FULL STORY HERE

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Exclusive Jonathan Johnson column: Reaction to Lens-Arsenal & Newcastle-PSG, plus potential forward transfer

Jonathan Johnson — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to my exclusive column for the Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe for more content from myself, Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs and more!

Mixed week for French clubs in the Champions League

Lens earned a big win as they came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 in a memorable first home game of the season in the Champions League, while Newcastle saw off Paris Saint-Germain in some style thanks to a similarly lively atmosphere at St James’ Park.

So, mixed success for Ligue 1 teams, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two teams that came out on top were the two teams who’ve been away from the Champions League, and indeed the European stage, for a long, long time. Both sides were playing in front of really electric atmospheres, which I think made a big difference.

Still, in Arsenal’s case it’s also important to note that the match changed for them with the injury to Bukayo Saka. I do think that could have an impact on Arsenal’s season, depending on how long he’s out for. With Newcastle, it was a fantastic performance and a fully deserved win, but equally if a couple of other chances had gone PSG’s way earlier in the game, it could’ve been a different story. On that first goal for Newcastle, you’d also expect much better from a player like Marquinhos in the PSG defence.

Overall, not the best nights for Arsenal or PSG, but with the important caveat that these were very special occasions for the home team on the night, and that can make for an intimidating atmosphere that also allowed Newcastle and Lens to play above and beyond themselves.

The stand-out performer for Lens on the night was matchwinner Elye Wahi – a player who was on the radar of a number of top clubs over the summer, most notably Chelsea, but I was also impressed by the response of Adrien Thomasson, who made a mistake for the opening goal by Gabriel Jesus but who then scored the equaliser.

I was impressed by Lens’ resolve, and the fact that they didn’t try to do anything too different, whereas in PSG’s case you have to question why Luis Enrique decided to only go for two central midfielders and four attackers when any minimal amount of match preparation would have shown that that was a suicidal approach. Lens, by contrast, didn’t change their approach for Arsenal and played in the way that’s got them to where they are – their strong understanding and intimacy within their set-up I think was key to getting themselves back into the game.

Wahi is the big name in this Lens side, but I thought there were a number of impressive performers really, particularly Nampalys Mendy, who has settled in really well despite only being at the club for around six weeks. Kevin Danso was also really solid in defence and Brice Samba, the captain, made some important saves. You couldn’t really argue that they didn’t deserve this win.

Hugo Ekitike heading for PSG exit

I can confirm that Hugo Ekitike is no longer wanted at PSG following transfer rumours about his situation and a possible move to the Premier League. The interest from Crystal Palace, which was also there towards the end of the summer transfer window, has been very problematic for PSG because he and his agent didn’t inform PSG that they were trying to negotiate a loan move to Crystal Palace. This was around the time PSG were negotiating a move for Randal Kolo Muani and Ekitike was of interest to Eintracht Frankfurt at that point.

Ekitike has now been dropped from the squad, he’s not on PSG’s list for the Champions League, so his future at the Parc des Princes looks very bleak. There have been links with Everton as well, but I think interest from Newcastle is in the past now. Still, I certainly expect Ekitike to be on the move this winter because there’s no future for him in Paris.

It’s going to be very difficult for PSG to get the kind of money back that they paid for him. PSG already knew they were over-paying for the player because the fee was agreed before his initial loan move, during which he lost massive value. They tried to get out of this deal but they were obliged to complete it.

Realistically, PSG would now be lucky to get a paid loan with a view to a permanent transfer for around €20m, if everything were to go well, but I think it’s clear they’re going to have to accept a significant hit on this transfer, unless he can go out on loan and really impress and build up some value.

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Moussa Dembele’s stinging attack on Lyon

Moussa Dembele laid into his former club Lyon in an interview with Foot Mercato, saying: “I left like Malo [Gusto], Castello [Lukeba] and Bradley [Barcola] did, and they did well to leave in order to improve, enjoy better momentum for their development and earn more money. Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes were also right to leave. Look at the fun they’re having! Bruno Cheyrou said the players were assets, what a lack of respect. Where did he think he was? A slave ship? In a cotton field? I’m not an asset, I’m a human being! If we’re assets, what are the fans? Consumers? This is such a dangerous and disrespectful take.”

There has undoubtedly been an institutional crisis going on at Lyon for a few years now, there have been serious question marks about how complacent the club has been, going back to the end of Jean-Michel Aulas’ reign.

Dembele was one of a number of players who, being totally honest, under-performed a bit, but, equally, there was a malaise that was allowed to set in around the club. Houssem Aouar is a good example of this – a hugely talented player who rose up through Lyon’s academy but whose form really dropped off a cliff once a move to Juventus was blocked.

I think a number of players will be feeling similarly, but now that Dembele’s moved on, he’s able to speak out about it. It’s certainly something that’s been brewing for a few years, and even this week there have been reports that one of John Textor’s investors already wants out of the project just a few months into his ownership. It’s a really unhappy place right now, so Dembele’s comments don’t really come as much of a surprise at all.

The post Exclusive Jonathan Johnson column: Reaction to Lens-Arsenal & Newcastle-PSG, plus potential forward transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano names another club who bid to sign AC Milan star while he was still at Chelsea

Mark Brus — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Lyon were another club in the mix for the potential transfer of Christian Pulisic this summer as he left Chelsea for a move to AC Milan.

According to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive Daily Briefing column, the time was right for Pulisic to leave Chelsea, even if some Blues fans might now be wondering if it was the correct decision to let him go after seeing how well he’s performing at the San Siro.

The USA international struggled to make an impact at Chelsea and it’s not too surprising they decided to sell him this summer, but he’s looked like a player reborn in his time with Milan so far.

Things could perhaps have gone a bit differently for Pulisic, though, as Romano says Lyon also made a bid to Chelsea for his signature, though his preference was always to join the Rossoneri, who also really wanted him.

“Chelsea fans will be relieved to see Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring his first goal for the club last night in the win over Fulham, with the young Ukrainian finally showing what he can do with a well-taken finish at Craven Cottage,” Romano said.

Christian Pulisic celebrates a goal for AC Milan

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Newcastle looking at red-hot striker with 21 goals in 42 games

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“But what about one of the players Mudryk replaced at Chelsea? Christian Pulisic may have struggled in his time at Stamford Bridge but is now doing really well with AC Milan. Despite the slow start of Mudryk and others, I still think that it was fair to part ways in Pulisic and Chelsea’s case as that relationship wasn’t working, it was a good deal for the player and club.

“Lyon also presented an official bid for Pulisic during the summer but they never had any concrete chance as Milan were the player’s favourite option. Pulisic wanted Milan strongly, as they wanted him.”

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Graham Potter rejects another big job as he waits for new job criteria to be met

Darren Looney — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:37:20 +0000

Graham Potter has turned down another return to management as the former Chelsea boss has declined the chance to become the new head coach of Scottish giants Rangers.

Current Rangers boss Michael Beale is under fire after a poor start to the campaign in which the Glasgow-based club have lost half of their opening four matches, which includes what could be a detrimental defeat to rivals Celtic.

The Scottish giants have also been knocked out of this season’s Champions League and that has led the club to seek out Graham Potter.

However, according to a report run by the Daily Mail, the English coach has rejected the opportunity.

Graham Potter will not become the new Rangers manager

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This comes after Potter declined an offer to take over at Ligue 1 side Lyon last week after meeting with the French club’s owner as he waits for a team that are currently qualified for Champions League football or have the potential to reach that level.

The former Chelsea boss has been out of work since losing his job at Stamford Bridge five months ago but is said to be in no rush back and is waiting for the right opportunity.

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Big European club considering Frank Lampard to take over as new manager

Darren Looney — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:22:51 +0000

Lyon sacked Laurent Blanc after a poor start to their campaign and now the French club are looking to appoint a former Chelsea boss as their new coach.

The Ligue 1 outfit are currently bottom of the league having lost three of their opening four matches and that was enough for the club to relieve Blanc of his duties.

Several names have been linked to the job since but 90min have reported a surprise candidate for the big Europan role. They state that Lyon are considering appointing Frank Lampard as their new head coach which would be a shock given the poor jobs the former midfielder has done recently.

? Lyon are considering appointing Frank Lampard as their new head coach after sacking Laurent Blanc.

(Source: 90min) pic.twitter.com/tXsrt4cObs

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 13, 2023

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Lampard has been out of work since leaving Chelsea over the summer, where he filled in temporarily following the sacking of Graham Potter. The 45-year-old had an appalling record at the club during his second stint and it saw him become the first manager in the 118-year history of the Blues to lose each of his first four matches in charge of the club.

This followed a terrible time at Everton which left the Toffees in major relegation trouble before Sean Dyche took over midway through the 2022/23 campaign.

Appointing Lampard would be a big risk for Lyon and given their poor start to the campaign, it could have dire consequences. However, it would also be a good place for Lampard to show his credentials as a manager and doing a good job in France would help shake off any negative connotations attached to his managerial career.

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Frank Lampard shortlisted to become the new Lyon manager

Ahad Shaukat — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:59:20 +0000

Lyon are looking to appoint a new manager after sacking Laurent Blanc this week.

The two managers favourite to get the job at the French club are Frank Lampard and Gennaro Gattuso, according to 90min.

Lyon’s first choice as their new manager was former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter but he turned down the approach from the former Ligue 1 champions.

Frank Lampard has been out of work since he completed his caretaker stint at Chelsea at the end of last season. His managerial career has been topsy-turvy with the former England midfielder starting last season as the manager of Everton and then getting dismissed in January with Everton flirting with relegation.

90min sources have reported Lampard is not the only manager in the running to take over at Lyon. Former Italy midfielder and AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso is also someone being eyed by the Lyon hierarchy.

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Gattuso’s last job was at Valencia which only lasted half a season and ended in January 2023. Gattuso was close to getting appointed the Tottenham manager in the past but Tottenham opted for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Whoever gets the job out of Lampard and Gattuso, they have a mountain to climb as Lyon sit at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table. To turn their fortunes around, Lyon needs a manager as soon as possible. Lyon fans staged a fan protest after their 4-1 home defeat against PSG in their previous match.

Should Lampard’s move to Lyon is completed, this is going to be the toughest job of his young managerial career.

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Exclusive: Graham Potter had positive talks with Euro giants but another candidate is favourite, says expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 09:52:00 +0000

Former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter had positive talks with Lyon and has had other interest in him in recent months, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside’s Substack.

Potter has had a difficult last year or so, having badly struggled in a brief stint as Chelsea manager, having been hired by the Blues off the back of some hugely impressive work during his time at former club Brighton.

One imagines Potter could still have a fine career ahead of him at the highest level, but he’s yet to get back into football, and it seems he won’t rush any decision on his potential next club, according to Romano.

Lyon could have been an option for the English tactician after the sacking of Laurent Blanc, but it seems former AC Milan and Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso is now the favourite to take charge of the Ligue 1 side, though further talks with other candidates are also set to take place.

What next for Graham Potter?

“It was a very complicated situation between Blanc and Lyon, so they decided to part ways,” Romano said.

“As has been reported, it’s true that they had some contacts with former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter, but at the moment from what I’m hearing, Potter is not keen on that kind of opportunity and wants a different kind of challenge for his future.

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“So Potter to Lyon is not happening, but they had very positive conversations with Gennaro Gattuso, the former AC Milan and Napoli manager, on Monday. He’s a serious candidate for the job, and the current favourite, but he’s not the only one, because on Tuesday John Textor will continue with more interviews with more candidates for the job.

“For Potter, again Lyon had some contacts but it was never that advanced, and in the last few months he’s never been close to any new job – he wants to take his time and decide his next club in the best way and in the right moment.”

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Exclusive: Chelsea, PSG & other PL clubs have had transfer interest in Ligue 1 sensation, says expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 09:22:00 +0000

Chelsea have been among the transfer suitors for Lyon star Rayan Cherki, however, Fabrizio Romano insists their interest was never that strong or concrete.

Writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, Romano says that Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have been among the teams to show an interest in Cherki, while he also has admirers from elsewhere in the Premier League.

Romano can’t name the specific clubs at the moment, but it also seems unlikely that Chelsea will be back in for the highly-rated young Frenchman again any time soon.

The Blues mainly had an interest in signing Bradley Barcola from Lyon, though he ended up moving to PSG instead, while Romano added that Cherki could be another player who fits the profile of what the Ligue 1 champions are looking for for their future project.

Rayan Cherki has been linked with Chelsea and PSG

Cherki could surely do a job for Chelsea, PSG or a host of other top clubs, but it seems his future is by no means certain at the moment.

“Lyon also have plenty of interest in star player Rayan Cherki, he’s appreciated by many clubs. I’m not allowed to share the names of the clubs who were in discussions over Cherki in the summer right now, it’s still a secret, but I can say he’s a player Chelsea have been following,” Romano said.

“There have been a lot of rumours this week, but it was never anything concrete between Chelsea and Lyon. The main talks between Chelsea and Lyon were over Bradley Barcola, not Cherki, it’s not something imminent or a priority target for Chelsea.

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