TRANSFERS – Page 19 – Football Flame

20Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Al-Ettifaq agree £12m deal for Liverpool’s Henderson

England's Jordan Henderson during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group C match between England and North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle worth £12m plus add-ons to sell captain Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. Henderson travelled to Germany with Liverpool for their training camp but was not involved in their 4-2 friendly win over Karlsruher. The England midfielder, 33, has two years left on his contract at Anfield. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was recently appointed as manager of Al-Ettifaq. The agreement for Henderson follows Liverpool receiving a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for fellow midfielder Fabinho last Friday. Unlike Henderson, the 29-year-old Brazil internation...

19Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Report: Arsenal keen to sign Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus of Ajax during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Ajax and Feyenoord at Johan Cruijff ArenA on March 19, 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus. The Gunners have already spent significantly in the summer transfer window, recruiting Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. Havertz arrived from Chelsea in a £65m deal, before Timber became Arsenal’s second summer signing after completing a £38.5m transfer from Ajax. Arsenal continued their summer spending with the addition of Declan Rice in a British-record transfer said to be worth a total of £105m. Despite adding three new players to Mikel Arteta’s squad, the Gunners are not ruling out further signings during the transfer window. According to the Dail...

18Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Andre Onana arrives at Man United after Erik ten Hag lost faith in David de Gea

Andre Onana in action during the Istanbul 2023 UEFA Champions League Final, disputed on Ataturk Olympic Stadium, 10 June 2023 Istanbul.The decision for Manchester United to push for a new goalkeeper, Inter Milan’s Andre Onana, for an expected €51 million initial fee, came down to Erik ten Hag. At the start of the transfer window, the priority of the Manchester United manager was to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur. When it became clear that it was going to be exceptionally difficult to do that, Ten Hag looked at other areas of his team that could be strengthened earlier in the window. The attitude of the manager who had long publicly backed David de Gea also hardened. The Spaniard had a poor end to the season and there were longer-standing concerns about his ball possession gam...

18Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Report: Harry Kane has no interest in Paris Saint-Germain move

Harry Kane of England, celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick during the UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round Group C football match between Italy and England at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy on March 23, 2023.Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has no interest in moving to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, according to a report. The England captain has so far not shown a willingness to extend his current Spurs contract, which expires at the end of the 2023-24 season. Kane is not believed to be trying to force a move away from North London after his unsuccessful efforts to do so in 2021, but Spurs are running the risk of losing him on a free transfer in under 12 months’ time. Nevertheless, chairman Daniel Levy remains of the view that Kane will not be sold this summe...

18Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Barcelona President Joan Laporta confirms desire to sign Manchester City star

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match between Manchester City and FC Bayern Munchen at Etihad Stadium on April 11, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Barcelona President Joan Laporta has added a little wood to the fire, after admitting that he would like to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese star has been consistently linked with Barcelona over the course of the past 12 months, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked to Silva. According to Sport, unlike Barcelona they have made formal efforts to make a move happen, offering €70m plus one of Presnel Kimpembe, Marco Verratti or Gianluigi Donnarumma. That offer was rejected by City. Speaking to fans in his car on Monday, Barcelona Presiden...

17Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Chelsea reject first Fulham bid for Callum Hudson-Odoi — report

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Bayer 04 Leverkusen looks on during the UEFA Champions League group B match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Porto at BayArena on October 12, 2022 in Leverkusen, Germany.Callum Hudson-Odoi has been training away from the first-team group since the start of pre-season, as part of the “bomb squad” of unwanted or unneeded players in the shop window (alongside the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang), and it sounds like he has managed to generate some interest in the process. Unfortunately, the first offer to arrive as a results of that interest was found to be unsatisfactory, with Chelsea rejecting Fulham’s transfer bid of unknown value. That’s according to The Athletic and Sky Sports, who add that Fulham are now “deciding” whether to come back wi...

17Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Kylian Mbappe’s Future: A Tug of War Between Real Madrid and PSG

Footballer Kylian Mbappe is seen attending the Men's Singles Final match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Casper Ruud of Norway on Day Fifteen of the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on June 11, 2023 in Paris, France. In the world of football, the summer transfer window is a time of intense speculation and strategic maneuvering. This year, the spotlight is firmly on Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) star player, Kylian Mbappe, who finds himself at the epicenter of a European striker scramble. Mbappe’s future at PSG hangs in the balance as he contemplates his next move ahead of the 2023/24 season. The French international’s contract with the Ligue 1 champions runs until the summer of 2024, but a clause to extend it to 2025 needs to be activated before the end of July. As of now, M...

16Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

West Ham interested in Man Utd captain Maguire

Harry Maguire of England during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group C match between England and North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19, 2023 in Manchester, England.West Ham are interested in signing Manchester United captain Harry Maguire. The 30-year-old England defender has an uncertain future at Old Trafford as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have emerged as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-backs. United also need to sell players to boost Ten Hag’s chances of reshaping his squad in the current transfer window as he closes in on Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana. Maguire’s contract runs to 2025. The centre-back arrived at United from Leicester City for £80m in 2019, but is known to be among the players Ten Hag would now sell if a suitable offer came in. Maguire is...

16Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Tijjani Reijnders to undergo Milan medical on Tuesday

Tijjani Reijnders of AZ during the Dutch Eredivisie match between AZ and FC Emmen at AFAS Stadion on May 14, 2023 in Alkmaar, Netherlands.Tijjani Reijnders will complete his medical examination on Tuesday before joining Milan on a permanent transfer. Daniele Longo reports that Milan have concluded the deal for Tijjani Reijnders with AZ Alkmaar recently and the Dutchman will arrive in Italy on Monday before undergoing his medicals on Tuesday morning. The Rossoneri have agreed to pay a transfer fee of around €20 million with bonuses to the Eredivisie side for the 24-year-old. Reijnders has received clearance from his current club to join the Italian side as he is set to sign a five-year contract and will earn €1.7 million net per season. Alkmaar sporting director Max Huiberts confirmed...

16Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Bayern’s Hoeness confident of Kane deal

England's Harry Kane during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group C match between England and North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness is confident they will sign England captain Harry Kane this summer. The German champions have reportedly bid £70m for the Tottenham striker. Chairman Daniel Levy met Bayern Munich officials on Thursday over a possible sale, and Hoeness says there have been talks with the striker’s advisers. “Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if it stays, then we’ll get him,” Hoeness told Sport1. “He wants to play in Europe and luckily for us Tottenham will not be next year. He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe.” ...

16Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Aaron Ramsey returns to boyhood club Cardiff — as son, 7, joins academy on same day

Welsh football star Aaron RamseyAaron Ramsey has completed a return to his boyhood club Cardiff City — with his son signing a contract at the club’s academy on the same day. Ramsey’s contract at French club Nice expired earlier this summer, but the 32-year-old has now signed a two-year-deal at the Welsh club where he started his professional career 16 years ago. Ramsey’s seven-year-old son, Sonny, signed a contract alongside his father, who admitted he “owed so much” to the Championship side. “It feels unbelievable to finally be back here,” Ramsey said. “I always thought one day I’d come back, and now it’s the perfect time to do that. “To be back with my family and around familiar faces is just brilliant, so I’m delighted to be back here now. I’ve missed that a lot in the last year o...

15Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Arsenal complete £105m Rice transfer from West Ham

Arsenal latest signing Declan Rice at London Colney on July 15, 2023 in St Albans, England. Arsenal have confirmed the signing of England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham for £100m plus £5m in add-ons. The Gunners’ announcement comes after the 24-year-old issued an open letter to Hammers fans saying how ‘tough’ a decision it had been to leave the club. Rice has signed a five-year contract with Arsenal in a deal which has the option of a further year. “I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been on,” he said. “Not last season but the season before, they [only] finished fifth, but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing. “Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with t...

14Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

United inching closer to signing Andre Onana

André Onana of FC Internazionale during the FC Internazionale training session at the club's training ground Suning Training Center at Appiano Gentile on July 13, 2023 in Como, Italy.Onana reported at Inter’s Suning Training Center on Thursday for the first day of pre-season but United are hopeful he will be involved on their tour of the United States. United and Inter have a productive relationship, having negotiated deals for Romelu Lukaku, Ashley Young and Alexis Sanchez in the last four years with the assistance of intermediaries. Should United complete the signing of Onana then Dean Henderson is expected to be granted permission to join Nottingham Forest permanently. With De Gea already gone, the additional departure of Henderson would save around £390,000 in wages, which would ...

14Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Rodrigo completes move from Leeds United to Al Rayyan

Rodrigo Moreno of Leeds United after Premier League match between West Ham United and Leeds United at London Stadium on May 21, 2023 in London, England. Spanish forward Rodrigo has finalised his departure from Leeds United and made the switch to Qatari side Al Rayyan, with the details of the transfer remaining undisclosed. The 32-year-old initially joined Leeds from Valencia in 2020 for a reported fee of £26 million and emerged as the team’s leading goal scorer last season, netting 15 goals. Al Rayyan, a member of Qatar’s 12-team QNB Stars League, activated a release clause in Rodrigo’s contract, which had only one year remaining at Elland Road. Throughout his time with Leeds, Rodrigo made 97 appearances and found the back of the net on 28 occasions. Although he ...

12Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Aston Villa sign Villarreal defender Torres

Pau Torres of Villarreal in action during the LaLiga Santander match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid CF at Estadio de la Ceramica on January 07, 2023 in Villarreal, Spain.Aston Villa have announced the signing of Spain centre-back Pau Torres from Villarreal for a reported £31.5m. Torres, 26, played under Villa boss Unai Emery with the Spanish club between 2020 and 2023. The defender, who joined Villarreal’s youth academy in 2003, played a pivotal role as the Yellow Submarine finished fifth in La Liga last season. He made 173 appearances for his boyhood team, scoring 12 times, and has played 23 times for Spain. Torres made his first Villarreal appearance in 2016, becoming the first player born in the small Valencian town to debut for the club in 13 years. He quickly established ...

12Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Nice expect Ramsey back for pre-season training

Aaron Ramsey of Wales gestures during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group D match between Turkey and Wales at Samsun Yeni 19 Mayis Stadium on June 19, 2023 in Samsun, Turkey.Nice say they expect Aaron Ramsey to return to the club for pre-season training as the Wales captain’s future remains uncertain. Ramsey’s contract at Nice expired last month, but there is a suggestion his 34 appearances for them last season were enough to trigger an extension clause. With no confirmation either way, the 32-year-old has held talks with Cardiff City about a potential return. But the Championship side are not the only club interested in signing Ramsey. A statement on Nice’s club website read: “The rest of the players who were involved in international matches over the summer: Kasper Schmeichel...

11Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Pulisic close to £20m move from Chelsea to Milan

Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States looks on in the second half of the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Final against Canada at Allegiant Stadium on June 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The United States defeated Canada 2-0. USA forward Christian Pulisic is close to completing a £20m move from Chelsea to AC Milan. Pulisic, 24, is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and is due to have a medical in Milan this week. He joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in a £57.6m move in 2019 that made him the most expensive player from North America. Pulisic scored 26 goals in 145 games and played in the 2021 Champions League final win over Manchester City. His switch to Serie A will mean linking up with former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has also joined Milan this summ...

11Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Inter looking to sign Lukaku on permanent deal

Romelu Lukaku of Belgium during the Group D - UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round match between Belgium and Austria at the King Baudouin Stadium on June 17, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.Inter Milan are keen to bring Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku back to the club this summer. Lukaku, 30, spent last season on loan with Inter from Chelsea. The Belgian scored 14 goals in helping Inter to finish third in Serie A and reach the Champions League final. Ongoing negotiations with Manchester United over goalkeeper Andre Onana could help Inter raise the finance to bring Lukaku back to the San Siro on a permanent basis. Chelsea are thought to want £40m for Lukaku, with Inter looking for £50m from United for Onana, which the Old Trafford club believe is too much. With David de Gea gone, Erik ten Hag woul...

10Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Report: Thomas Meunier Agrees Move to Club Brugge

Thomas Meunier of Borussia Dortmund during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Koln at the Signal Iduna Park on March 18, 2023 in Dortmund, German.After some short negotiations, it seems Thomas Meunier has agreed a move back to his home country with Club Brugge. The Belgian fullback is lining up a 3-year contract with Brugge, which would end a three year stay at BVB. Meunier made the move from PSG to BVB in 2020 on a free transfer, replacing the outbound Achraf Hakimi, who would go on to take up the Meunier’s role at PSG a year later. Despite his pedigree and consistent success as the international level, Meunier failed to impress in black and yellow. The latest failure in a string of attempts to replace Lukasz Piszczek, Meunier was not able to stamp his aut...

10Jul

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Burnley close in on loan deal for Dortmund’s Coulibaly

Soumaila Coulibaly of Borussia Dortmund during the Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund at Mercedes-Benz Arena on April 15, 2023 in Stuttgart, Germany.Newly promoted Premier League side Burnley are closing in on a season-long loan deal for Borussia Dortmund defender Soumaila Coulibaly, with an obligation to buy him for £15m. Coulibaly, 19, came through the academy at Paris St-Germain before moving in 2021 to Dortmund, for whom he made two first-team appearances last season. The centre-back is scheduled to have a medical with the Clarets on Monday. Coulibaly would become Burnley’s fifth signing of the summer. Manager Vincent Kompany has so far completed permanent deals for defenders Jordan Beyer and Dara O’Shea, forward Michael Obafemi and goalkeeper Lawrence V...