🚨 More Chelsea injuries, Klopp's message, Pep's rant, ten Hag happy, Richarlison out, Paqueta keen on City, Arteta coy & more
Today's round-up, featuring Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and more...
Good morning everyone and welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing - thanks as always for reading, and hope you enjoy!
Today’s top stories:
AC Milan
What’s the latest on the Mike Maignan situation? Matteo Moretto breaks it down.
Pioli silent as Milan plan changes [Football Italia]
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta on Jurrien Timber: "We want him to play at least one game with the U23s, an in-house game too, and these are the steps before we see him back. He's done a great job in training, now it's about getting fit for the real games."
Arteta was coy when asked about Arsenal’s injury problems in his pre-match press conference for the Aston Villa game [pictures from Hayters]:
Arsenal star being targeted by surprise Juventus swoop [TuttoJuve]
Arteta: "I did notice the Gabriel handball story, especially after when there was a certain reaction from Bayern... The referees used the law and the law says to use common sense and whether you take an advantage from that situation - and there wasn’t any advantage."
Aston Villa
Aston Villa sources deny any story about agreement or even negotiations for Ferdi Kadıoğlu. There are no talks ongoing between Villa and Fenerbahçe despite reports in the Turkish press.
Aston Villa player’s latest comments suggest he won’t play for the club again [Area Napoli]
Atalanta
Atalanta paid a €25m fee to sign their Anfield hero Gianluca Scamacca from West Ham last summer. Understand there are no add-ons into the agreement wanted and managed by Atalanta director Tony D'Amico; €25m guaranteed fee. Scamacca has scored 13 goals in all competitions.
Italian newspaper says Gasperini outclassed Klopp [Gazzetta dello Sport]
Barcelona
Xavi: “My decision to leave the club at the end of the season will NOT change. The decision I made is the right one, it has given peace of mind to the club, the players, even the press but also for me… but I’m not changing my mind.”
Xavi: "Mika Faye is ready. It could be his big day to debut. I see him ready to be part of our first-team squad, he's an interesting talent and it could be his moment, yes."
Xavi sends a clear message about Ronald Araujo's future: "Barça have to keep Araujo, I'm 100% sure of that. He's a crucial player for Barça. He's really important for us and I don't see him joining another team."
Is a move for Bernardo Silva part of the plan for Joan Laporta to tempt Xavi to stay? Matteo Moretto has more.
What’s happening with Ronald Araujo’s contract situation? Matteo Moretto has an exclusive update.
Bayern Munich
Alex Nübel has signed new deal at Bayern until June 2029 and has been loaned to Stuttgart for two more years until June 2026. Contract includes an option and a clause to terminate the loan in June 2025. Nübel: “I'm very happy about the trust that FC Bayern has placed in me.”
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola has been named as manager of the month for March.
Chelsea
Raheem Sterling, Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku and Lesley Ugochukwu are all on the club’s injury list.
Pochettino on his Chelsea project: "It's clear, we want to win. We came here because of the project but knowing Chelsea's history is to win. When you don't win the game, you feel really, really disappointed."
Pochettino: "I need to be more cautious with my words. We have a young squad. I need to adapt. The message was to improve this week. It's not fair to judge players... but it's really, really tough when you don't have a fully fit squad. That's not an excuse."
Pochettino on Madueke: "When the club signed Cole Palmer, Noni was already here. It's about finding the dynamic where they can play together, it's about the balance. I hope Noni can grow, be consistent with his quality and so he can be an important player for Chelsea."
Pochettino noted that Enzo Fernández and Axel Disasi are out injured for Chelsea, undergoing medical assessment [pictures from Sky Sports]:
Si Phillips deep dives into whether Ivan Toney to Chelsea is a viable prospect.
Hadjuk Split
Hajduk Split sporting director Mindaugas Nikolicius is leaving the club after a successful spell and will not extend his contract in June. He is linked with clubs in the UK, Germany and Italy.
Juventus
Allegri on his future: “Main focus is on reaching the Champions League spot, then Juventus as a club will make the best decision.” The general feeling remains clear: Allegri is expected to part ways with Juve at the end of the season.
Juventus ready to put McKennie on the market [Matteo Moretto]
Lazio
Luis Alberto announces: "I'm leaving Lazio at the end of the season. It's over, I've already asked to terminate the contract and part ways. I don't want to receive a single euro from Lazio anymore. It's time for me to leave the club."
Leeds United
Bayer Leverkusen are on the hunt for one brilliant Leeds ace according to Christian Falk.
Leeds in pole position to sign Southampton ace [TeamTalk]
Liverpool
Klopp: “Can we win in Bergamo? Yes if we play good. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea. Now we have to recover. We must feel really bad. It’s important. That was a bad performance, that’s how it is.”
Klopp sends a message to Liverpool fans: "We have to show a reaction. 100%, that is clear. I can promise that. It is not the first time in my life that I lost a football game unfortunately, but yes, we will show a reaction."
What has Julian Nagelsmann got to do with Jurgen Klopp’s next move? Find out with a superb Christian Falk exclusive.
Manchester City
Guardiola on Haaland: "We scored three goals at the Bernabéu... he had two central defenders near him! Haaland is a young player, he has margins to improve but it’s more about the team than him to get better."
Guardiola isn’t happy with the amount of games that players are being made to play in [pictures from Sky Sports]:
Pep Guardiola has claimed Man City are in big, big trouble [CaughtOffside]
Manchester United
Erik Ten Hag: "John Murtough's exit will not affect the plans for my future. I work with the new ownership very good, closely together. It will not change, it doesn't have an impact on the way I can work here. The conditions were perfect, they are still perfect."
Ten Hag provided team news ahead of Manchester United's trip to face Bournemouth [pictures from Sky Sports]:
Ten Hag: “Anthony Martial is out on the pitch, but if he will be available this season… I don't know. He’s still with the medical team.”
Man United are one of four Premier League teams looking at RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo. Christian Falk has an exclusive deep dive on what could happen next.
Ten Hag on West Ham interest in Maguire: "We were always happy with Harry... but he wants to play. He's a great leader, he's a very good defender, very comfortable on the ball. We are very pleased he is with us and we need him to get our results and achieve our targets."
Ten Hag: "We are working in the background on plans with the scouting. The plan is ready but we have to execute. I trust the new ownership will work as quickly as possible and bring new good structures and they can execute."
Ten Hag: "You have to be realistic. As a manager it’s like a minister. Yeah, you don’t have anything in your hands but at the end of the day you have to accept that. You are responsible for everything. I take that."
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe: “Joelinton’s new deal is a big boost. We are glad he sees his future here. He has never doubted his love for Newcastle or his want to stay. He is very popular internally; everyone looks at Joe as a winner.”
Former agent with Saudi links discusses Eddie Howe’s position [Jon Smith]
Real Madrid
Ancelotti: “Jude Bellingham will be back to scoring goals, but it’s not true that he dropped his performances level. He’s just scoring less than before, but it was a surprise. He’s still doing an excellent job.”
Ancelotti: "Eder Militao is ready. Remember I also played Sami Khedira in a Champions League final who was back from an injury with zero minutes before... Militao feels very good. He can't play 90 minutes but I think he can play a good part of the game and do it well."
What next for Luka Modric? Matteo Moretto exclusively weighs up the Croatian’s options.
The Debrief Podcast
This week Ben Jacobs and Angus Scott tackle what is expected to be one of the busiest windows for managers in recent memory. Amorim, Ten Hag, Pochettino, Moyes, Xavi and more are either leaving their posts or rumoured to do so. What is fact and what is fiction in each case? Fabrizio Romano weighs in on these managerial situations and also provides updates on the futures of both Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah at Liverpool.
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou: "Richarlison will miss the game this week due to a knee injury. He is close but with next weekend off, the last two rounds are stacked with games and having him ready for that is more important."
Postecoglou gave his opinion on Semi-Automated Offside Technology, which is being introduced into the Premier League in the 2024/25 season [pictures from Hayters]:
Find out which brilliant defender Tottenham are scouting in a Christian Falk exclusive.
Tottenham want 21-goal striker this summer [Give Me Sport]
West Ham United
The release clause in Lucas Paquetá’s contract at West Ham has been valid since July 1 and it’s worth £85m. Man City consider Paquetá one of the ideal targets since last summer but no decision has been made. Paquetá is keen on the potential move since initial talks last year.