Al Nassr willing to pay €100 million for exit-bound Raphinha

Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr are reportedly eager to make a significant move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, and they are prepared to offer a staggering €100 million for his services.

Raphinha has become one of the most sought-after players in Barcelona’s squad this transfer window. 

Despite his desire to stay with Barcelona, interest from other clubs, especially from the Premier League and Saudi Arabia, is intensifying. The latest interest comes with a massive financial offer.

Just yesterday, it was reported that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were preparing a substantial bid for Raphinha. Furthermore, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa has also shown interest, looking to replace Moussa Diaby. 

Now, it has been confirmed that the significant offer from Saudi Arabia is from Al Nassr and it is an astronomical figure, both for the player and for Barcelona.

Raphinha had an impressive season, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists in 37 games.

Source: https://barcauniversal.com

Chukwueze Voted MOTM In AC Milan's Win Against Manchester City

AC Milan began their preseason tour in the best possible way as they beat Manchester City 3-2 at the Yankee Stadium on Saturday night. 

In the 19th minute it was Manchester City who took the lead and it was Erling Haaland who got the goal.

Right on the half-hour mark Milan were level as Lorenzo Colombo scored with a powerful header from Samuel Chukwueze's cross on the right.

Four minutes later it was 2-1 to Milan. Colombo made no mistake from close range, once again beating Emerson with a volley from inside the box as Chukwueze got another assist.

Ten minutes into the second half, it was 2-2 when a great bit of play from Manchester City's Hamilton saw him get past AC Milan's Calabria and cross for McAtee who scored all alone in the area.

Marco Nasty scored the winning goal for AC Milan as his right-footed shot first time beat Emerson and found the bottom corner.

Manchester City has lost two games in the tour, having lost 3-4 to Scottish premier side, Celtic.

FIFA Deducts Six Points From Canada Olympic Women’s Football Team

Canada’s Olympic women’s football team have been deducted six points and their coach Beverly Priestman suspended for a year after a staff member used a drone to spy on New Zealand Olympic team at the Paris Games, FIFA said on Saturday. It also handed down a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs ($226,000).

The ruling is a blow to Canada’s hopes of defending the Olympic title they won at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

It leaves them on minus three points in Group A before they play hosts France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne.

They beat New Zealand 2-1 in their opening game on Thursday but the deduction means they now face having to win their next two matches to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Canada Soccer chief executive Kevin Blue had tried to convince FIFA not to punish the team, saying the players had not seen any footage produced by the drone.

“The players themselves have not been involved in any unethical behaviour,” Blue told reporters on Friday.

“And frankly we ask FIFA to take that into consideration if contemplating any further sanctions.

“Specifically we do not feel that a deduction of points in this tournament would be fair to our players.”

Canada’s players had insisted they were innocent of wrongdoing after their opening victory over the New Zealanders.

“There was a lot of emotion, frustration and humiliation because as a player, it doesn’t reflect our values and what we want to represent as competitors at the Olympics,” defender Vanessa Gilles said.

“The Games represent fair play. As Canadians, these are not our values or those of our country. We are not cheats.”

Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker said separately on Friday that Canada’s victory at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics might also have been stained by spying tactics.

Source: AFP

Former Real Madrid star James Rodríguez receives offers from 2 La Liga clubs

A pair of La Liga clubs have forwarded contract offers to former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodríguez.

The 33-year-old is for his part fresh off something of a whirlwind few weeks in his native South America.

First, James was named Player of the Tournament, owing to his exploits in guiding Colombia to the finale of the Copa América.

Then, days later, confirmation was forthcoming that the one-time Bayern Munich and Everton man had reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with Brazilian giants São Paulo.

James’ decision came with a view to taking advantage of his Copa brilliance, to secure a return to Europe.

Both Celta Vigo and Real Betis have already gone as far as to present contract offers to the gifted player.

The former are understood to be pushing particularly hard,‘betting heavily’ on adding James to their midfield ranks for the 2024/25 campaign.

Source: Conor Laird | GSFN

Manchester United Ready To Sell Seven Players

Manchester United are ready to sell seven players in order to fund more signings:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

🇸🇪 Victor Lindelof

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Harry Maguire

🇩🇰 Christian Eriksen

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scott McTominay

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jadon Sancho

🇧🇷 Antony

(Source: ESPN)

Latest Football Transfer News

Tottenham and Brazil forward Richarlison, 26, and Manchester United's English winger Jadon Sancho, 23, are January targets for the Saudi Pro League. 

Juventus are also interested in signing Sancho but only on a loan deal and with United paying part of his salary. 

However, United are not ready to give up on Sancho by allowing him to leave in the January transfer window. 

England right-back Reece James, 23, remains fully committed to Chelsea despite the interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid. 

Manchester United bosses are refusing to meet agents if they believe they are trying to pitch clients to replace Erik ten Hag as manager. 

Corinthians' 18-year-old Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Moscardo, who has attracted interested from Arsenal and Barcelona, says Chelsea were keen to sign him in the summer. 

Real Madrid have added Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz, 20, Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong, 22, and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface, 22, from Bayern Leverkusen to their transfer shortlist. 

Barcelona are still open to selling former Leeds United winger Raphinha, 26, next summer, and hope top European clubs will bid for the Brazil forward.  

Real Madrid are ready to extend 25-year-old Brazil defender Eder Militao's contract until at least 2028.

Brighton have brought Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson, 19, in line with other top earners at the club with his new six-year contract. 

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer says they have no interest in selling Canada left-back Alphonso Davies, 23, amid transfer interest from Real Madrid. 

Croatian and former Marseille manager Igor Tudor, 45, is favourite to replace 59-year-old Frenchman Rudi Garcia as Napoli boss. 

Naples-born former Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, 50, is also in the frame to replace Garcia. 

Marcelo's Fluminense wins the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history

Marcelo called Fluminense's success in the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday the biggest title of his career, ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League wins.  

Rio de Janeiro-based Fluminense, Marcelo's boyhood team, claimed its first title in the CONMEBOL South American club competition after a feisty 2-1 win over Argentina's Boca Juniors after extra time. 

The Brazilian left-back, 35, won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid during a distinguished 15-year career with the Spanish giants, but revealed that this one meant more because of his boyhood attachment to Fluminense. 

Marcelo told ESPN: 'Real Madrid will understand. It's my most important title, at club level, because it's the club that raised me.

I'm winning a very important title with my favourite club, the club that gave me all the tools to have my career, with the employees who saw me grow up. There's nothing more rewarding than that. It's priceless.

'I owed a debt to Fluminense. It was written [that we would win the trophy. There's nothing else to say. 

'Many people criticised us, but today Fluminense is the Copa Libertadores champion. ... Earlier I was crying, I was nervous, but now it is all about happiness.' 

Marcelo started as a youth player at Fluminense in 2002 before breaking into the first team.

In 2007, he moved to Real Madrid, where across a decade and a half, he won five Champions League trophies, six LaLiga titles, five Spanish Super Cups, four Club World Cups, three European Super Cups and two Copa del Rey trophies.

After leaving Spain last year, he had a spell with Greek side Olympiacos, before returning to his boyhood club in Rio in February. 

Marcelo started Saturday's final, and was substituted at half-time when Fluminense were 1-0 up courtesy of German Cano's 36th minute goal.

Boca Juniors' Luis Advincula equalised 18 minutes from time to send the game to extra time.

It is the 13th international title Marcelo has won in his illustrious career, moving him joint eighth in the list of players with the most global titles, level with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others. 

Credit: Daily Mail