🚨 Bellingham does it AGAIN, Guardiola confirms he wanted to sign Arsenal star, plus what next for Man Utd hero?

Oct 08, 2023

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Good morning everyone and welcome to another Daily Briefing - thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

Today’s top stories:

Christian Pulisic scored a late winner for AC Milan as they beat Genoa 1-0, but the big story was Olivier Giroud having to fill in as a goalkeeper for the closing stages after Mike Maignan was sent off! It’s fair to say Giroud did well in his unfamiliar role [Pictures courtesy of TNT Sports]

Emile Smith Rowe isn’t playing much at the moment, but what does the future hold for him? Full info here.
Pep Guardiola on Declan Rice: “For sure everybody knows City wanted him, we wanted him. He could play not just when Rodri could not. At the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more, maybe Arteta was more convincing than me, or the club itself, or their offer...”
Guardiola on Arteta: “He’s a guy who is so demanding with the board. He’s like: give me money, money to spend! He has this talent, too. Sometimes it’s more like: Okay, what the club decides. He pushes everyone.”

Xavi: “In my opinion, Frenkie de Jong is one of the best players in the world”. “You can see that even in training, he’s special… some people see him training and think: why does Frenkie get that amount of criticism?”

Are Chelsea finally finding their feet under Mauricio Pochettino? And what a performance from Raheem Sterling in yesterday’s 4-1 win over Burnley! [Pictures courtesy of Sky Sports]

Mauricio Pochettino: “We take decisions with the sporting director. We are in good communication with the owners also. The owners are really good with me from day one and the sporting director also. When we arrived there was already a plan for the season and we accepted to come.”

Wayne Rooney has decided to leave D.C. United — it’s over. English manager leaves with immediate effect. “It’s the right time,” he said. “I’ve done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It’s not a single thing that’s happened. New job? I’ve nothing lined up.”

Genk have completed a deal to sign Dutch U16 national team defender Juwensley Onstein — born in 2007. Onstein has joined on a three year deal valid until 2026.

Inter Miami have been eliminated from the MLS playoffs. After their October 21st match, Inter Miami will NOT play another MLS game until late February.
Since Lionel Messi’s debut, Inter Miami only won one of the six games he missed and only lost one of the 13 he’s played in.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri on 2005-born talent Kenan Yildiz: “I’m sure that Yildiz will become a wonderful, top player. It's gonna happen one day. It’s difficult to find a player who can control the ball as he does. He’s always calm.”

Pep Guardiola on Declan Rice: “For sure everybody knows City wanted him, we wanted him. He could play not just when Rodri could not. At the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more, maybe Arteta was more convincing than me, or the club itself, or their offer...”
Guardiola on Arteta: “He’s a guy who is so demanding with the board. He’s like: give me money, money to spend! He has this talent, too. Sometimes it’s more like: Okay, what the club decides. He pushes everyone.”

Scott McTominay was the hero for Manchester United, coming off the bench to score twice and give the Red Devils a 2-1 win over Brentford - see the late drama below [Pictures courtesy of Sky Sports]

Scott McTominay: “At this football club you grow up knowing you are never allowed to give up. I been brought up at Manchester Utd ever since I was five years old. I know the feeling of never being allowed to give up better than anyone.”
What next for McTominay after summer interest in the midfielder?
Erik ten Hag: “McTominay was fabulous. When you come in with the end of the game near and you bring that mindset, that energy and that confidence, he fought for every meter, for every ball, and he was rewarded.”
Could Man Utd face competition for this wonderkid signing?

Officially confirmed yesterday: Bruno Guimaraes has signed a new contract at Newcastle valid until June 2028. His new deal includes a release clause worth around £100m.
Bruno Guimaraes: “The fans have made me feel at home since my first day here and I feel so loved in my life. I'm so happy here. It’s a place that is so comfortable to be — there are no words to describe how happy I am to be here.”
Could these two sign new Newcastle contracts next?

Luis Enrique on Ousmane Dembele not scoring a single goal yet: “Ousmane is really top in everything he does — I’m very happy with what he's doing. His stats will improve. There’s no point in putting pressure on the players.”

Jude Bellingham has done it again - 10 games, 10 goals for Real Madrid! FT Real Madrid 4-0 Osasuna [Pictures courtesy of ViaSport]

Vinicius: “Bellingham was born to play for Real Madrid, that’s very clear. I hope we will play together for many years as we are all very happy to have him as teammate.”
Carlo Ancelotti: “I really hope people understand that Jude Bellingham is not a striker, remember that. He’s a midfielder. Goals are not everything. He’s so special.”

Tottenham beat Luton Town 1-0 to remain unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season. They’ve also scored in every single game and sit top of the league. It’s the best start to a season since 1980 for Spurs. Ange Postecoglou signed his contract just four months ago.