Stade Rennais – CaughtOffside

Moyes wouldn’t allow highly-rated West Ham defender summer move despite agreement

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:17:06 +0000

Having only just won the Europa Conference League title, it’s no wonder that West Ham manager, David Moyes, apparently vetoed the transfer of one of his highly rated defenders during the summer.

The Scot, along with thousands of Hammers fans in the ground and back home in east London went berserk as Jarrod Bowen prodded home a 90th minute winner against Fiorentina, to give everyone connected with the club a real high point to the season and a memory to last a lifetime.

That clearly didn’t chime with Nayef Aguerd who, according to a tweet from the Actu SRFC official account, had agreed a summer move to Stade Rennais, the team that he left to join the Hammers from.

Nayef Aguerd ?? n’était pas loin de signer au Stade Rennais cet été. Il existait un accord entre les clubs. Le joueur était d’accord pour revenir mais le coach de West Ham a mis son veto d’après les informations de @RauzyFrancois. (Via Le lundi, c’est Rauzy @bleuarmorique /…

— Actu SRFC (@ActuSRFC_) October 24, 2023

According to the information in the tweet, via Francios Rauzy, Aguerd agreed to the move but David Moyes quickly put a stop to that notion.

The manager may well live to regret that particular decision given that the 27-year-old Moroccan has been far from his best so far in 2023/24.

More Stories / Latest News

Exclusive: Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target with €60m release clause could move in 2024, says expert

Nov 1 2023, 9:14

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Nov 1 2023, 9:08

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

Nov 1 2023, 8:37

Indeed, his stock may have fallen to below the price that West Ham paid for him, meaning that they would probably have to take a loss if Moyes tried to cash in, in future.

At present he remains part of the Hammers back line, though with 16 goals conceded already in the Premier League, that may not be the case for much longer.

The post Moyes wouldn’t allow highly-rated West Ham defender summer move despite agreement appeared first on CaughtOffside.

All you need to know about the Europa League draw

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 21:56:06 +0000

Friday lunchtime sees the draw for the little brother to the Champions League – the Europa League. Proceedings will begin at 12 midday BST on September 1, and at 1.30pm BST the Europa Conference League draw will follow.

This season West Ham, thanks to their epic Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina, get the reward of entering European football’s second biggest competition, and they’re joined of course by Liverpool and Brighton from the Premier League.

All three English clubs have differing styles and will arguably have to adapt them in this competition given the strength of some of their potential opponents.

David Moyes will be delighted that the Hammers have been seeded in Pot 1, meaning that they miss some European heavyweights in the group stage.

That said, there could well be some tricky and long-distance ties ahead.

Pots for Europa League draw

Pot 1: West Ham, Liverpool, Roma, Ajax, Villarreal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Rangers

Pot 2: Sporting CP, Slavia Prague, Rennes, Olympiacos, Real Betis, LASK, Marseille, Qarabag

Pot 3: Molde, Brighton, Sheriff Tiraspol, Union SG, Freiburg, Sparta Prague, Maccabi Haifa, Sturm Graz

Pot 4: Toulouse, AEK Athens, Hacken, TSC, Servette, Panathinaikos, Rakow Czestochowa, Aris Limassol

Where can I watch the draw?

The draw is to be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 from 12 midday BST onwards, and will also be available on the app or website for subscribers. Those without a TNT Sports subscription can watch the draw for free on UEFA’s YouTube and social media channels.

Dates for group stage matches

Matchday 1: September 21
Matchday 2: October 5
Matchday 3: October 26
Matchday 4: November 9
Matchday 5: November 30
Matchday 6: December 14

The post All you need to know about the Europa League draw appeared first on CaughtOffside.

£55m signing arrives at Man City and could make first appearance on Sunday

Darren Looney — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 19:09:26 +0000

Manchester City have announced the signing of Jeremy Doku on a five-year contract after agreeing a £55m fee with Rennes this week.

The Premier League champions announced the news on Thursday regarding the Belgian star who looks set to take over the role occupied by Riyad Mahrez last season. The Algerian star left the Manchester club this summer to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ahli as part of a £30m deal and that money has now been invested in Doku.

The 21-year-old joins City after spending three years in France, where he played 92 matches, scoring 12 goals and providing a further 10 assists.

Doku could make his first appearance for Man City on Sunday when the defending champions travel to newly promoted Sheffield United.

We're delighted to confirm the signing of @JeremyDoku ??? pic.twitter.com/DPzTWiniKC

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 24, 2023

Jeremy Doku comments on move to Man City

Upon joining the club, Doku spoke to Man City’s media team about his big move to the Premier League champions: “This is a great day for me, both personally and professionally.

“Manchester City are the best team in world football, so to be joining them is something very special for me and my family.”

Man City reach £51 million agreement with Rennes to sign Jeremy Doku

Andrew Walker — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:14:17 +0000

Manchester City are on the verge of signing Jeremy Doku from Rennes.

That’s according to leading transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist Fabrizio Romano, who has given the Belgian winger the famous ‘here we go’ treatment.

Jeremy Doku to Manchester City, here we go! Verbal agreement in place after new bid revealed here this morning — worth €60m package ?? #MCFC

Medical tests being scheduled later this week, personal terms agreed on long term deal.

Exclusive story revealed August 1, confirmed. pic.twitter.com/fv1r6u2uO4

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2023

Verbally agreeing to a deal worth £51 million, Doku, 21, is in line to become Riyad Mahrez’s long-term replacement after the world-class Algerian opted to join Al-Ahli earlier in the window.

Exclusive: Transfer expert names the €60m-rated player that West Ham are “in love” with

Jason Pettigrove — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:36:03 +0000

After an away draw at Bournemouth and a stunning home victory over Chelsea, David Moyes will be well pleased with how his West Ham side have begun the 2023/24 Premier League season.

The Hammers ended last season better than they began it, so carrying their form over is no bad thing, albeit a full campaign of decent results is required for the east Londoners to continue their good work of late.

Another run deep into the Europa League will only enhance the club’s credibility as a force both domestically and on the continent, and to that end they would be an easier ‘sell’ to players that are perhaps considering pastures new.

Some fresh blood in a few areas of the pitch wouldn’t go amiss, and to that end, it’s believed that the Hammers are trying their upmost to bring in exciting and in-demand talent, Jeremy Doku, rated at €55m-€60m.

Jeremy Doku celebrates a goal for Rennes

“Man City had a new contact with Rennes, discussing a verbal proposal not a formal bid,” Fabrizio Romano said on The Debrief podcast.

“The verbal proposal was for something around €55m-€60m including some add-ons.

“[…] It’s not an easy conversation because Doku is an important player for Rennes, but the conversation was positive in the morning.

“[…] It’s true that West Ham are in love with Jeremy Doku so they’re trying every way to approach the player, but of course when you have Manchester City in the race it’s very complicated.”

Of course, when Man City come calling, it’s always going to be hard to turn them down.

Pep Guardiola continues to show why he is the best coach in the world, and the lure of playing alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden et al doesn’t need the kind of hard sell that Moyes may have to employ if the Hammers are to have any chance of getting the player to the London Stadium.

The post Exclusive: Transfer expert names the €60m-rated player that West Ham are “in love” with appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man City closing in on €60m star as Premier League champions hope to reach agreement this week

Darren Looney — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 10:35:49 +0000

Man City are moving closer to signing Rennes’ Jeremy Doku and the Premier League club hope to reach an agreement with the French side over a transfer fee this week.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who reports that a new verbal proposal close to €55m/€60m is being discussed between both clubs as the player has already given the green light to the move having agreed personal terms since the beginning of August.

The transfer journalist reports that there’s competition for the Belgium international but Man City hope to reach an agreement with Rennes this week in order to get the transfer over the line as soon as possible.

EXCL: Man City, advancing on Jeremy Doku deal as new verbal proposal close to €55/60m package is being discussed with Rennes ?? #MCFC

There’s competition but City hope to reach an agreement with Rennes this week — after green light on player side since beginning of August. pic.twitter.com/kLRoWL1BDw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2023

Exclusive: Two alternatives to Lucas Paqueta being explored by Man City

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 15:07:53 +0000

After the surprise news that West Ham’s want away star, Lucas Paqueta, is being investigated by the Football Association for potential betting rule breaches, Man City have turned their attentions elsewhere.

With less than two weeks to go until the closure of the summer transfer window, Pep Guardiola and his recruitment team need to work hard and fast in order to get deals over the line.

Given that the 2023/24 Premier League season is already well underway too, the need for there to be some dressing room stability is obvious.

The sooner that City can bring a player in to fill the void created by Kevin de Bruyne’s absence, the better.

‘City are going for a different player in that position because the Paqueta story is complicated, and let’s see if City will try to go for Dani Olmo,’ Fabrizio Romano wrote in his exclusive CaughtOffside Substack.

‘Their target had always been Lucas Paqueta but Dani Olmo has always been appreciated by some people on the board. At the moment, Leipzig insist on the player being untouchable but we’ll see if City will find some other solution and how they will react.

‘Jeremy Doku remains another target for Manchester City. They had discussions with Rennes and positive discussions on the player side, but before agreeing anything, they want to make sure that the situation is not going to be a big fight on the player side.’

On the face of it, the signing of Doku may be an easier one to achieve than prising Olmo from RB Leipzig, particularly after the Spaniard took Bayern Munich to the cleaners all on his own in the German Supercup.

Both players offer something a little different too, with Doku more of a winger and Olmo ostensibly a striker though one that does often play down the channel and comes inside.

Guardiola has shown time and again that he’s able to integrate players easily into his tactically astute XIs and, in the case of players like John Stones, move them into other untried positions and still get the best out of them.

The post Exclusive: Two alternatives to Lucas Paqueta being explored by Man City appeared first on CaughtOffside.

West Ham ahead of Premier League rivals in race for exciting winger

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 06:46:10 +0000

Not before time it seems that West Ham are finally getting their act together in the transfer market, and if David Moyes can land the targets that the east Londoners are currently being linked with, the Hammers could have a fantastic squad for the 2023/24 campaign.

The Scot and his board appeared to have made a huge error in waiting until Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal before placing bids for any potential new stars, but they’re now getting business done.

James Ward-Prowse has followed Edson Alvarez, whilst there are rumours that talks are ongoing for Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus and the club are favourites to land Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Kostantinos Mavropanos was close to Serie A move last week — West Ham are now leading the race to sign him ???? #WHUFC

Negotiations advancing with Stuttgart and Italian clubs also believe Dinos will join West Ham.

Focus on Mavropanos as Maguire deal currently off. pic.twitter.com/AYXDtrxdUM

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2023

It doesn’t appear that the Hammers are stopping there either, with The Independent (subscription required) noting that the club are already ahead of Man City and Tottenham Hotspur in the chase for Rennes hugely exciting star, Jeremy Doku.

The outlet note that they are the only club that have made an offer at this point, though it’s lower than the £50m asking price that the Ligue Un side require.

Chelsea are also believed to be interested given that they’ve recently missed out on the signing of Michal Olise and, intriguingly, it’s Olise’s Crystal Palace team-mate, Eberechi Eze, that could be a secondary target for all of those clubs that miss out on Doku’s capture.

The post West Ham ahead of Premier League rivals in race for exciting winger appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea preparing to go head-to-head with Man City after Olise disappointment

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 05:35:51 +0000

Losing Micheal Olise when it appeared a deal had been fully agreed with the Crystal Palace player will surely have come as a bitter blow to Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

Though they’ve sold enough players to make their own XI, the Blues have still been active in the market in terms of incoming transfers.

That’s not better evidenced than their British record capture of Moises Caicedo and potential hire of young Southampton midfield talent, Romeo Lavia.

It’s clear that the exciting Olise was next in line, however, threatened legal action from the Eagles appears to have seen Chelsea back out of the deal.

Crystal Palace informed club’s lawyers of their intention to consider going to a tribunal with Chelsea over approach for Olise ????

That’s how the story changed — Palace very strong on that and Chelsea left the conversations.

Olise accepts new deal, #CPFC v happy with that. pic.twitter.com/UY7uKg4nfd

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2023

What that means for the Stamford Bridge outfit is that it’s back to the drawing board in terms of which players to consider for their attacking areas, and it would seem that they’re ready to go head-to-head with Man City over one exceptional talent.

According to 90Min, the Blues have made enquiries for Rennes’ Jeremy Doku, even though it’s believed that the player has already agreed terms with the Cityzens.

At this stage, were Chelsea to firm up any enquiry with an offer, it would appear to be a very simple choice for the Belgian player; sign for City, an established project with success almost guaranteed, or go to an emerging project at Chelsea, more than likely for the long contract that would be offered.

The post Chelsea preparing to go head-to-head with Man City after Olise disappointment appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Video: Bundesliga club produce worst transfer announcement video of all time

Darren Looney — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:49:25 +0000

Lovro Majer completed his move from Rennes to Wolfsburg this week and the midfielder’s announcement will go down as one of the worst transfer announcement videos in the history of the sport.

The German club decided to unveil the Croatian star in a Wolfsburg kit by putting a sheet in front of a door before dropping it to reveal the player. However, Majer can be seen walking in the background and the opening of the door is clear for all to see. That’s before addressing the two people with wizard emojis over their heads.

This is without doubt one of the worst transfer announcement videos of all time and it is surprising that the player agreed to it.

? Wolfsburg with a contender for the worst transfer announcement video of all time.

Why did Lovro Majer agree to that? ???

(? @RMCsport) pic.twitter.com/4Hif6pG4rg

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 17, 2023

The post Video: Bundesliga club produce worst transfer announcement video of all time appeared first on CaughtOffside.