Arsenal and Liverpool might have to pay over £85 million for defender
Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with the move for the Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.
A report from Soccernews.nl claims that the defender could cost over €100 million (£85m) and it remains to be seen whether the two English clubs are prepared to pay up.
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The 18-year-old central defender is a prodigious talent and he is highly rated across Europe. However, he is still largely unproven at the highest level and being £85 million for him would be a major gamble for any club.
It seems highly unlikely that Liverpool or Arsenal will pay that kind of money for him. They will be hoping to sign him for a more reasonable price.
Liverpool need to bring in a quality young central defender who can replace Joel Matip in the long term. Hato has the ability to adapt to English football and Liverpool could nurture him into a key player.
Meanwhile, Arsenal already have a number of central defenders at their disposal and it will be interesting to see how they accommodate him in their starting lineup. Hato would need regular football in order to continue his development and he cannot afford to sit on the bench at Arsenal.
Jamie Carragher destroys the Glazers for Man Utd 'neglect'- 'It's unbelievable really'
Jamie Carragher has hammered the Glazers for failing to appoint the right people at Manchester United - and also accused them of neglecting their iconic Old Trafford stadium.
The club's American owners are subjected to regular criticism, having overseen a gradual decline over the past decade. Following their takeover in 2005, the success of Sir Alex Ferguson shielded them from the fans and the media, but since his retirement their flaws have been exposed.
The Glazers are largely absent owners and allowed Ed Woodward to run the club until his recent departure. He was one of several individuals employed despite having a lack of experience. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is currently wowing fans by making shrewd appointments - but Carragher insists that is just normal behaviour.
He also remains stunned that Old Trafford hasn't had much-needed improvements, especially given the finances of the club and the fact they've allowed local rivals Manchester City to soar ahead of them in terms of infrastructure.
He said on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet : “I think the Glazers have been negligent in the past 10 years in not appointing the right people. We think Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming in is amazing because he’s appointed a sporting director and a CEO – it’s unbelievable really, it’s just like normal practice.
“My biggest thing is the stadium and regeneration. You think about Financial Fair Play now, and the generation of income that could’ve happened – United own 50-60 acres around the ground. Manchester City have invested in the Co-Op Arena that’s going to open in a month or two, they own half of that. They’ve invested in other things that have made money around the ground and invested in the place. Letting the stadium go and not touching the regeneration – those two things are just negligent.
“You can get the team wrong, sign the wrong players, lose football matches – I don’t have a problem with that. You can’t not have the best stadium with the money coming in and you can’t not have a CEO and sporting director that understand football clubs.”
How Vinicius Junior is using football to stimulate young Brazilian minds
At a primary school in football-mad Brazil, pupils are spurred to academic greatness in classrooms resembling football pitches – with a virtual avatar inspired by star forward Vinicius Junior cheering on every correct answer. Perched on football-patterned cushions on classroom floors of artificial grass, they learn on tablets and smartphones using an app created by the Vini Jr Institute, started by the Real Madrid athlete to improve public education in disadvantaged communities.
“I learn better when I use the app, it’s easier, it looks like a game,” 11-year-old Ana Clara da Silva told AFP in Sao Goncalo, Vinicius’s birthplace on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
Da Silva attends the Visconde de Sepetiba municipal school, one of ten in four Brazilian states to have received educational aid from the institute.
Player runs into ‘series of difficulties’ at Aston Villa – Both future and ‘dream’ now at risk
Last summer, Galatasaray’s Nicolò Zaniolo joined Aston Villa on loan with an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met.
TV Play state this move was supposed to be a turning point in the winger’s career but it has been a ‘real nightmare’ so far because the Italy international has been restricted to a substitute role.
He was also subject to criticism online by a section of Aston Villa supporters after their 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
It’s claimed the 24-year-old has ‘run into a series of difficulties’ at Villa Park and now risks both his future with the Villans and representing the Azzurri at the Euros.
For now, everything indicates the player will return to Galatasaray after this season and his future beyond that remains unknown. Lazio and Juventus are following him and could make a move for him in the next window.
The former AS Roma man’s situation at Aston Villa doesn’t warrant being called up for the Euros. TV Play say he’s currently not among the main candidates for Italy manager Luciano Spalletti.
Therefore, the chances of him representing the national team in the summer look slim. It has been his ‘dream’ to represent Italy at the Euros but Zaniolo now risks missing out.
Barcelona star refuses to shut down exit speculation again!
Barcelona star Ronald Araujo continues to leave his future open this summer, as the Uruguayan is linked with a move away from the club. The 24-year-old central defender has been described before as ‘untouchable’, but with the Blaugrana in need of income from sales this summer, Araujo is one of the assets that would allow them to make significant money.
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In the January transfer window he was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich, and did not deny talks with the Bavarian side. Bayern reportedly had two offers for Araujo turned down, but are expected to come back for him in the summer. Meanwhile Football España understands that Barcelona are working on a new deal for him, but that there are multiple Premier League sides also circling.
After beating Napoli 3-1 in the Champions League, Araujo stated that his future did not depend on him, as reported by Sport.
“My future depends on the club. Everyone knows that I am very happy here at Barça. And very grateful to Xavi.”
“Very happy with qualifying, we played a great game at home. The support of our fans was very key from the first minute,” he added.
Araujo may well be simply putting the ball in Barcelona’s court regarding a contract negotiation, but his answer certainly leaves an exit as a possibility. Perhaps the more pertinent question is whether Barcelona can afford to turn down a major offer for Araujo this summer.
Real Madrid face tough 'Situation' Acclimating PSG SuperStar
Kylian Mbappé will likely have a busy summer as he plays for France at UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and the Olympics in Paris. However, those aspirations could hinder his early adjustment should he join Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old probably won’t have any significant time off going between the Euros and the Olympics. As a result, MARCA’s Ramón Álvarez de Mon cited his concerns if the Frenchman goes through with his plans while also joining the Spanish side.
On his YouTube channel, de Mon states that early in the season, these games might not affect the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner. However, the games could pile up in the long term next season, resulting in injuries for the PSG star.
“It’s a tough situation for Real Madrid to manage,” de Mon said (h/t Bernabéu Digital). “If Mbappé ends up playing in both the Euro Cup and the Olympics this summer, which seems increasingly likely, it’s clear he won’t have any rest or vacation time. He’d be going from one competition to another without a break. Considering he’d also be joining a new team in a new country, it adds several complexities to the situation.
“If you give him time off during that period, it just delays his acclimatization. Moreover, Mbappé himself might prefer not to take a vacation and instead wants to integrate into Real Madrid as soon as possible.”
It will be interesting to see if these concerns become valid as the next season progresses. Mbappé is in his prime but that many games while needing to adapt to a new team will be a major hurdle for him and his new team, likely Real Madrid, to overcome.
Real Madrid Looks To Sign South American Prodigy, Reports TNT
Real Madrid is looking to sign an Argentine talent according to TNT Sports in his homeland, which cited anonymous sources.
Los Blancos have played one masterstroke after another in South America by beating European rivals to wonderkids from the football-made continent.
With their help of their scout Juni Calafat, the Spanish giants have managed to convince the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Fede Valverde that their progress would be best overseen at the Bernabeu.
This summer, another Calafat coup will finally be pulled off when Palmeiras prodigy Endrick crosses the Atlantic after his 18th birthday in July to link up with Carlo Ancelotti's squad.
The Italian head coach has confirmed that Endrick will not have to cut his teeth in the Castilla reserve team, as he plans to use him in the first team in 2024/2025 as part of an attack that is also likely to feature soon-to-be free agent.
Amid other potential buy operations featuring Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Lille's Leny Yoro, Madrid is also taking steps to further spread its tentacles across South America.
After raiding Brazil and Uruguay in recent years, the 14-time Champions League winners are now looking to make steps in Argentina where River Plate attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono has taken their eye.
Despite still being 16, like FC Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal, Mastantuono is already starting to be a key piece in the Buenos Aires' giants' first XI under ex-Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis.
While he would one day hope to star in El Clasico against Barca if signed by Madrid Florentino Perez, Mastantuono has already featured in South America's equivalent the Superclassico.
The teenager earned 12 minutes against River's bitter rivals Boca Juniors last month, and came close to scoring the winner near the death with a volley that went over Sergio Romero's bar.
Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka on the return of Germany midfield partner Toni Kroos
The return of Toni Kroos to the Germany men’s national team ahead of EURO 2024 signals a tactics reshuffle for coach Julian Nagelsmann and the rest of the German midfield.
The 34-year-old Real Madrid star, who starred for Germany at its 2014 World Cup triumph and retired after EURO 2020, brings a different profile to a midfield that will now be without Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich — set to play right-back instead. And the knock-on effects could impact Kimmich’s club teammate Leon Goretzka as well.
“In the end, I play where the coach puts me. That’s what I’ve always said,” Goretzka said in a recent interview for Sport1, as captured by Sport1 journalist Stefan Kumberger. “This probably sounds really boring, but at the end of the day it is. I always see it as my duty to help the team — no matter where I’m placed. To be honest, this discussion about which role is played by whom is irrelevant. We want to go there and see that we get on track with the national team. It’s not about any roles, but about us becoming successful again as a team. I’ll just see what awaits me.”
Kroos, who brings a deep-lying playmaking ability but also may demand defensive balance next to him, might be well-served by this current iteration of Goretzka — who has starred at Bayern in just that sort of role in recent games while still dusting off his box-to-box prowess from time to time.
But Goretzka has more to worry about now: reports suggest he could be getting passed up for a spot altogether, at least in the March round of international call-ups.
REAL MADRID QUARTET IN THE SIGHTS OF SAUDI GIANTS
No fewer than four members of the first-team setup at La Liga giants Real Madrid have made their way onto the radar of several Saudi clubs, with a view to the summer.
That’s according to Marca, who have on Wednesday provided an insight into the situation. It is of course common knowledge that several high-profile names are likely to bring a close to their respective stints in Madrid ahead of next season.
As things stand, the contracts of all of Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Lucas Vázquez and captain Nacho are due to expire. Not only that, but Dani Ceballos has been hotly tipped to move on, whilst Ferland Mendy could also be pushed out, in the case of a deal for Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies coming to fruition.
In turn, it should not come as a massive surprise to hear of a number of clubs from the cash-laden Saudi Pro League sniffing around the signatures of more than one important member of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
As per the aforementioned Marca, all of Modrić, Nacho, Vázquez and Mendy have found their way onto the radar of the RSL’s top clubs, ahead of the summer.
Of these four, Modrić looks the most likely candidate to make the move, with Nacho behind him.
