Blog – Page 75 – Football Flame

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Real Betis confirm Giovani Lo Celso return
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Real Betis confirm Giovani Lo Celso return

Real Betis have completed a deal to bring Giovani Lo Celso back to the club on transfer deadline day. Los Verdiblancos launched a late push to bring the Argentina international back to La Liga after failing to land Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos. Talks with Tottenham moved swiftly, with Real Betis previously linked with a move for Lo Celso, and Spurs accepted terms favourable to them. The Premier League side wanted to offload the 28-year-old and they have reportedly secured a future option to sign highly rated Johnny Cardoso as part of the negotiations. Lo Celso scored 16 goals in all competitions, in his sole season at Real Betis in 2018/19, before joining Spurs. He was initially linked with a move to Villarreal, after spending two seasons on loan in Castellon, in 2021/22 and 2022/23...
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West Ham sign PSG’s Carlos Soler after offloading Aguerd and Ward-Prowse
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West Ham sign PSG’s Carlos Soler after offloading Aguerd and Ward-Prowse

West Ham wrapped up the loan signing of the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler after managing to offload Nayef Aguerd to Real Sociedad and James Ward-Prowse to Nottingham Forest. Julen Lopetegui was keen to add creativity in midfield but his hopes of bringing in Soler were dependent on outgoings. West Ham were able to sign the Spaniard after loaning out Ward-Prowse and Aguerd for the season. Kurt Zouma is set to join the Saudi Pro League side Al-Orobah on loan. The deal for Soler does not include an option or obligation to make it permanent. The Spain international was available after falling out of favour at PSG. Lopetegui remained determined to sign the former Valencia player despite West Ham holding talks over a loan for Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka. West Ham have had a bu...
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Chelsea ‘angered’ Victor Osimhen and blew up transfer with ‘pay cut’ request
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Chelsea ‘angered’ Victor Osimhen and blew up transfer with ‘pay cut’ request

Chelsea are said to have blown apart their efforts to sign their main striker target with a low offer. Chelsea’s low-ball wage offer is said to have angered Victor Osimhen and spoiled any potential deadline day transfer. The Blues were said to be pushing hard to land the Napoli superstar on deadline day, reportedly sending representatives to the South of Italy in an attempt to strike a deal with Napoli. The Blues are said to have proposed a loan deal with a mandatory option to buy, delaying the bulk payment in a bid to skirt Profit and Sustainability rules. That left many wondering why Napoli would turn down the deal, especially after they signed Romelu Lukaku and Al-Ahli walked away from the Osimhen deal despite having a bid accepted, ultimately deciding to sign Ivan Toney from Bren...
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Celtic complete late move for Luke McCowan after record deal for Arne Engels
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Celtic complete late move for Luke McCowan after record deal for Arne Engels

Celtic completed a last-gasp swoop for Dundee midfielder Luke McCowan after earlier breaking their record transfer fee. Brendan Rodgers got his wish as Celtic signed Arne Engels for a reported £11million as both the champions and Rangers landed late deals on deadline day. The Scottish champions left it late to sign McCowan, announcing the former Ayr player had signed a three-year deal 45 minutes after the transfer deadline. The 26-year-old hit 10 goals last season and was Dundee’s player of the year before captaining the side in the absence of the injured Joe Shaughnessy. Engels joined Celtic from Bundesliga side Augsburg just ahead of the transfer deadline following the earlier arrival of United States centre-back Auston Trusty from Sheffield United on a five-year-deal. The 20-year-o...
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Phil Foden doubt for England duty with Man City star set to miss West Ham clash
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Phil Foden doubt for England duty with Man City star set to miss West Ham clash

Phil Foden is unlikely to feature in Manchester City's match against West Ham on Saturday - and he could also miss out on England's opening UEFA Nations League fixtures. The attacking midfielder, 24, came off the bench in City's opening Premier League fixture against Chelsea but was not in the squad for the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town. And ahead of this weekend's meeting with West Ham, Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the England star might not return to action until after the international break. Guardiola said in a press conference on Foden's absence: “Hopefully not [too long]. Hopefully after the international break he’ll be ready. “He played against Chelsea for 45 minutes but then after he didn’t feel good. He had tests and feels much better, but he’s still doesn’t feel perfect. “I ...
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Chelsea ‘submit official bid for Man United winger Jadon Sancho’
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Chelsea ‘submit official bid for Man United winger Jadon Sancho’

Chelsea have reportedly submitted their first official bid for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have offered to loan the player with similar terms to those that Juventus had previously proposed.The total package being offered is understood to be higher, with Sancho eager to leave Old Trafford for a switch to Stamford Bridge this summer. Mail Sport previously reported that both clubs were discussing a surprise swap deal involving Sancho and his former England teammate, Raheem Sterling, who was unexpectedly dropped from the Chelsea squad ahead of the Premier League start. Similarly, the former Borussia Dortmund player was left out of United's games against Fulham and Brighton, and now the winger is keen to revive his career at another cl...
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Leeds United confirm Ao Tanaka squad number and contract length after sealing transfer
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Leeds United confirm Ao Tanaka squad number and contract length after sealing transfer

Leeds United have today completed the signing of Japan international Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf. The versatile midfielder has joined the Whites for an undisclosed fee from the 2.Bundesliga club, penning a four-year contract. Tanaka enjoyed a fruitful 2023/24 campaign for club and country, hitting 13 goals in 42 matches across all competitions. A United statement read: "Bringing experience from his time playing in the 2. Bundesliga, Tanaka has also played 27 times for his national team. "He represented his country at the 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he scored the winning goal against Spain to send his nation into the knock-out stages of the competition. "The 25-year-old began his career with Kawasaki Frontale in the J1 League, before securing a m...
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McTominay on the Verge of Finalizing Napoli Switch
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McTominay on the Verge of Finalizing Napoli Switch

The deal needed an extra day to be completed in all its elements, but Napoli are indeed signing Scott McTominay from Manchester United. The midfielder arrived in Italy on Thursday and will be announced as a new addition on Friday. According to Il Mattino, the Partenopei paid €30M for the Scotsman. He’ll earn €3M for the next four years. The Serie A team will have an option to extend his contract for one more season. McTominay quickly accepted the move when Napoli and Antonio Conte came calling. However, the negotiation took a while. The Reds Devils needed to snap up Manuel Ugarte first. The Azzurri were determined to onboard one more starting-caliber midfielder to their rotation. The 27-year-old has spent his entire career at Old Trafford and has been a regular for the past five sea...
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Dani Olmo reveals how Deco and Hansi Flick paved his path to Barcelona
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Dani Olmo reveals how Deco and Hansi Flick paved his path to Barcelona

It’s been a few days since Barcelona’s impressive 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano and the biggest talking point from the game after Marc Bernal’s unfortunate ACL injury was the incredible debut of Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old Spaniard came on in the second half for Ferran Torres and completely changed the game on its head. He scored the matchwinner for Barcelona but even otherwise, his general play was outstanding. If this is a sign of things to come, Barcelona fans will certainly be excited. Olmo had an excellent sync with the rest of his teammates and one would have thought that the 26-year-old has been playing at the club for years. Barcelona signed Olmo from RB Leipzig for around €60m. The ex-La Masia graduate returned to his boyhood club in what was a marquee transfer. Even after coming ...
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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brighton – Premier League
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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brighton – Premier League

Arsenal mean business at the start of 2024/25 and are aiming to maintain their 100% record in the Premier League when they welcome Brighton to the Emirates. The Gunners have proven to be mightily efficient to begin the new season, with a comfortable win over Wolves followed up by a vengeful triumph over Aston Villa, who they lost to twice last season. Arsenal have gears to move through and Brighton will put them through their paces this weekend. The Seagulls look reborn under Fabian Hurzeler and, like Saturday's opponents, have won their opening two games of the season. Mikel Arteta will not be making wholesale changes to his starting XI, but there may be a subtle adjustment or two. Here's the lineup he could pick for Brighton's visit. Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-3-3) GK: ...
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Maresca admits he was ‘worried’ before Chelsea’s clash with Servette
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Maresca admits he was ‘worried’ before Chelsea’s clash with Servette

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admitted he had been 'very worried' ahead of his team's Conference League play-off second leg against Servette after they narrowly survived a scare to scrape through despite a 2-1 defeat in Geneva. Following a 2-0 first-leg victory a week ago, Christopher Nkunku's early penalty extended the Blues' lead in the tie to seemingly extinguish any hope the Swiss side had of pulling off a surprise result. But thereafter things went awry for Maresca as Servette hit back with two goals to stun his team, first when Jeremy Guillemenot drilled past Filip Jorgensen to level things on the night before half-time then again when Enzo Crivelli headed in to set up a nervous finish. 'I think the first half an hour was comfortable and we had three or four chances to make it...
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Manuel Neuer thrilled to play Champions League match in his hometown
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Manuel Neuer thrilled to play Champions League match in his hometown

The Champions League draw under the new Swiss format will bring some interesting changes. For Bayern Munich, that includes risking its incredible 40-match unbeaten streak in the group stage. The biggest challenge will come at Camp Nou against Hansi Flick, Robert Lewandowski, and the rest of FC Barcelona. One bright spot for Bayern will be a neutral site match against Shakhtar Donetsk. Bayern will avoid a true road match in Ukraine, but also the game will be played in Manuel Neuer’s hometown of Gelsenkirchen. Manuel Neuer said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia): “The games against extremely good opponents will be very exciting. But we are going into the new league phase with confidence in order to qualify directly to round of 16. We want to show where we stand and win, especially in the gam...
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Marseille’s Samuel Gigot travels to Italy ahead of Lazio move
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Marseille’s Samuel Gigot travels to Italy ahead of Lazio move

According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Samuel Gigot (30) is travelling to Rome tonight to complete his move from Olympique de Marseille to SS Lazio for a €3.5 million fee. The French centre-back had been a key part of the Marseille squad for the past two seasons even deputising as the club captain while Valentin Rongier (29) was out injured with a broken kneecap. However, the arrival of a new manager Roberto De Zerbi has signalled a sea change at the southern club. Gigot, Chancel Mbemba, Jordan Veretout, and Azzedine Ounahi have all been placed in the “loft” and advised to find new clubs this summer as there are no plans for them to be integrated back into the first team. Despite this situation, Gigot had refused multiple offers from clubs across Europe over the last few weeks. ...
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Official: Lens confirm Danso deal with Roma is off after failed medical
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Ligue 1

Official: Lens confirm Danso deal with Roma is off after failed medical

RC Lens released a statement confirming Kevin Danso failed his Roma medical and the €25m transfer is off, so the Giallorossi get Tiago Djalò from Juventus instead. The defender flew in yesterday and underwent a set of tests in the Italian Capital, hoping to complete the loan with obligation to buy for €23m plus €2m in add-ons. However, late this evening reports emerged in Sky Sport Italia and the Corriere dello Sport that he had failed the medical. Specifically, it is suggested he was not given permission to play in Italy by the local authorities, which could potentially mean some sort of cardiac irregularity was spotted. It also means Roma had absolutely no control over those tests, so the French implication that they were trying to lower Danso’s price simply don’t make sense. Lens a...
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Mikel Arteta would have to break Arsenal transfer promise to sign Raheem Sterling
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Mikel Arteta would have to break Arsenal transfer promise to sign Raheem Sterling

Arsenal are said to be weighing up a deadline day swoop for Raheem Sterling - just days after Mikel Arteta insisted he would not sign the Chelsea winger. Sterling, 29, has been deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and been frozen out by Enzo Maresca, who has confirmed the player would no longer feature for the Blues moving forward. The former Manchester City and Liverpool star is now seeking a new club before Friday night's transfer deadline and The Emirates has emerged as a potential destination. That's according to a report from The Independent, who claim that Arsenal - who are in the market for an attacker - have been 'offered' the chance to sign both the 82-cap England star and Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman. While it's outlined that a deal to bring Sterling to North L...
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Mbappe scoreless again as Real held to another draw
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LALIGA

Mbappe scoreless again as Real held to another draw

Kylian Mbappe remains scoreless in the Spanish league for Real Madrid as the defending champions settled for a 1-1 draw at Las Palmas. Mbappé, Madrid's biggest signing in years, has only scored for the powerhouse in the team's UEFA Super Cup victory against Atalanta earlier this month. It was Vinicius Junior who scored for Madrid, who beat Valladolid 3-0 in the previous round but opened their title defence with a 1-1 draw at Mallorca. Vinicius found the net on Thursday for his first league goal this season by converting a 69th-minute penalty kick after a handball inside the area. The hosts had taken the lead five minutes into the match after Alberto Moleiro got past a couple of defenders before finding the net from inside the area. Barcelona on Tuesday became the only team with three ...
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Official: Barça sell Alarcon to Porto
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LALIGA

Official: Barça sell Alarcon to Porto

Barcelona have reached agreement with FC Porto for the sale of 20-year-old striker Angel Alarcon for an undisclosed fee, the club announced on Thursday. Barça confirmed in their statement they will keep 50% of the player’s rights, which means they’ll receive half of the profits from a future sale. Alarcón became a hot prospect two years ago when Xavi Hernández first took charge of the first team and looked to have a real chance to make the senior side before a number of injuries, including a serious knee issue, slowed down the striker’s progress. Then the emergence of players such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Víctor both in the first team and at Barça Atlètic last season blocked Alarcón’s path to real playing time for the Catalans, and he now moves to Portugal in search of consistent minute...
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Barcelona prodigy is already thinking about ‘recovery’ after horrific injury
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LALIGA

Barcelona prodigy is already thinking about ‘recovery’ after horrific injury

Despite the win over Rayo Vallecano, the last 24 hours have not been good for a Barcelona fan. Their worst fears were confirmed when 17-year-old La Masia prodigy Marc Bernal was confirmed to have torn the ACL on his left knee. The entire Barcelona contingent was hoping against hope that the prognosis would be different from what was initially feared but unfortunately, that was not the case. Messages of gratitude poured from the footballing fraternity for Bernal. Just 17 years of age, Bernal looked like the next big thing coming out of La Masia. He was incredible in Barcelona’s three games so far and even against Rayo, he had a brilliant second half that would have made Sergio Busquets proud. It’s such a shame that the talented youngster’s campaign had to be cut short prematurely b...
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Newcastle United issue Joe Willock injury update – and it ‘doesn’t look good’
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Newcastle United issue Joe Willock injury update – and it ‘doesn’t look good’

Eddie Howe fears Joe Willock is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he limped off against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night. Willock put Newcastle United in front at the City Ground after just 18 seconds but had to be replaced in the 15th minute because of a thigh injury. The 25-year-old looked devastated as he left the pitch. The midfielder was making his first start since April after an Achilles injury restricted him to just 14 appearances last season. Howe admits Willock’s latest injury “doesn’t look good”. “A huge blow for him and for us,” said Howe. “He scored the goal and we looked in that moment. His absence meant we had to reshuffle our midfield which is something we didn't want to do in that moment at all. “We just hope it's not serious. It doesn't look good, he's...
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Maarten Paes Receives Indonesia National Team Call-Up
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NEWS

Maarten Paes Receives Indonesia National Team Call-Up

FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes has been called up for Indonesia’s men's national team FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier matches versus Saudi Arabia and Australia. Indonesia continues its qualification journey on Thursday, September 5 versus Saudi Arabia at 1 PM CT from King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Indonesia will then play Australia at 7 AM CT from Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.“I can't wait to play games on the international stage for Indonesia,” goalkeeper Maarten Paes said. “I am really excited, I can't wait to show my quality for Indonesia.”In 2024, Paes has registered 102 saves in MLS, his highest number of saves in a season since joining FC Dallas and has registered five clean sheets. Paes recorded six straight games with fiv...
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