🚨 Odegaard and Xavi pen new deals, Man City sign international ace, Sancho out of Man Utd squad again & more

Today's transfer headlines, featuring Arsenal, Bayern, Man United, Tottenham and more!

Good morning everyone and welcome to today’s Daily Briefing - thanks as always for reading and hope you enjoy!

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Today’s top stories:

• Bayern ace offered bumper Al-Hilal deal

• Nagelsmann confirmed as German national team coach

• Sandro Tonali has Eddie Howe’s full support at Newcastle

• Plus Aston Villa, Barcelona, Man Utd & more!

Al Ettifaq

• Jesse Lingard has joined Al Ettifaq in training, valid for one month — as he’s still available as a free agent. Up to Lingard and Al Ettifaq if they want to proceed together. Steven Gerrard will be key to any decision too.

Al Hilal

• Which Bayern Munich ace was offered €100m net in wages to join Al-Hilal and was the priority target before Neymar? Exclusive details here.

Arsenal

• Official: Martin Ødegaard has signed a new long term deal at Arsenal — valid until June 2028. “Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me, what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that. I’m really excited for what’s to come here. I’ve found a place where I can be really settled and call my home. At Arsenal, since the first day, I’ve felt great and this is definitely my home.”

• Martin Ødegaard’s message to Arsenal fans. Footage courtesy of Arsenal FC.

• Edu: “Our aim is to keep our best players — Ødegaard is one more as we have agreed new long-term contracts with a number of our most important young players.”

• Mikel Arteta on Aaron Ramsdale being benched: “Difficult with every player but he has been very supportive and really, really good around the place. That is what I expect from every single player as when you are on the field, there is someone else who is not.”

Aston Villa

🗞️ £52m Villa player’s comments won’t go down well as he flirts with European giants [FootMercato via CaughtOffside].

Barcelona

• Xavi on Vitor Roque injury: “We’re in contact with the club and the player. Doctor Pruna is in contact continuously and we are waiting to find out how he is doing.”

• UPDATE: No surgery for Vitor Roque after injury on Thursday night. Conservative treatment for the Brazilian striker who’s joining Barcelona in 2024. Athletico Paranaense expect him to be back in about 30/40 days time.

• Xavi on Barça decisions for João Félix and Cancelo loans: “Now there are nine months left and that is a long time. We will have to define and talk to their clubs, but right now it is unthinkable to discuss about it.”

• Official, confirmed. Xavi Hernández has signed a new deal until 2025. Video below courtesy of FC Barcelona.

• Find out exactly why the Xavi deal is brilliant news for Barça and why it’s only just being announced now, here.

Bayern Munich

• Thomas Tuchel on reports of De Ligt being unhappy: “As a centre-back, you don't get many opportunities to be subbed on and Matthijs 100% deserves to play. He's in good shape. Of course his playing time so far is not enough for him personally, but he's a team player.”

• Which Bayern Munich ace was offered €100m net in wages to join Al-Hilal and was the priority target before Neymar? Exclusive details here.

• Christian Falk has more exclusive details on Tottenham’s buyback clause for Harry Kane here.

• Bayern have a confirmed interest in Man United’s Scott McTominay. Find out why here.

Chelsea

• Pochettino: “The team is performing well and we are missing many key players — but I’m disappointed because many teams with less score more. That is why we feel bad. The players deserve more. Yes, Conor Gallagher could be a captain. Nicolas Jackson is gonna be a great player. I spoke to him as he had four yellow cards only for talking with the referee… and he’s a striker. He understood. He is young, he is going to be a fantastic player but he needs to be calm and relaxed.”

• Pochettino on the owners and directors feelings: “We are talking with the sporting directors, they are supporting the project. They are not disappointed because we have similar feelings about the project. We have to work hard, all together — we all want to win.”

• Pochettino: “Why is Thiago Silva here? Because he wants to stay here — as he stayed here because the club wanted him, they extended the contract. Thiago knew the project very well when he extended...”

• There’s been a significant update regarding Trevoh Chalobah’s Chelsea future. All the details here.

🗣️ Do Chelsea need to calm things down in the next transfer window in order for Pochettino to be able to work more effectively? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Crystal Palace

🗞️ Crystal Palace to open talks with 10-goal international ace [The Athletic via CaughtOffside]

Germany

• Official, confirmed: Julian Nagelsmann has been named as German national team new head coach. The former Bayern manager will lead the team at Euro2024. After the tournament he will be free to decide his future.

• All of the inside information on the Nagelsmann deal can be found exclusively via Christian Falk’s superb insight here.

• Nagelsmann wasn’t the preferred choice of the German Football Federation. Find out who was here.

Manchester City

• England U17 international Divine Mukasa has now signed in as a new Manchester City player. Here we go, confirmed.

• Pep Guardiola: “Julián Álvarez, he is fantastic. Always has good behaviour, playing or not playing — being a world champion or not. Always the same. The perfect dose of disappointment when he doesn't play, but always ready for the opportunity. He’s excellent.”

Manchester United

• Erik ten Hag: “Jadon Sancho will not be in our squad at the weekend. It depends on him. For the rest, we are preparing for Burnley and that's our focus. In the dressing room, staff, coaches, medical — here everyone is united. Here at Manchester United you fight. Leaks? I know my players and the only thing is to win games here. Every single game. I am pushing the team and demanding from the team but they are human beings, they are not robots. Why they are not doing it? I try to find out and I try to get and give the solutions and I also try to motivate the players to do the job.”

• Ten Hag on his agency being involved in transfer deals: “No conflict of interest — because we made good agreements on it from the start. We know how we cooperate in that manner. For player decisions, transfers, it's always 50-50. We both have a veto: the club and me.”

• Bayern have a confirmed interest in Man United’s Scott McTominay. Find out why here.

• No one in Germany is surprised by the latest furore surrounding Jadon Sancho. Find out why that is, exclusively, here.

• There is a way back for Jadon Sancho at Man United and if he wants to play for the club again he only has to do one thing. What is it? Exclusive insight here.

🗣️ What’s your opinion on the way Jadon Sancho is being treated by Man United? Leave a comment below.

• Andre Onana impressed his team-mates and the coaching staff despite his howler against Bayern. What he did after the game was well received and is detailed here.

• What’s the latest on the David de Gea retirement rumours? Go here to find out.

Newcastle

• Eddie Howe: “I want Tonali to be himself. He’s an outstanding technician, a very good athlete. We need to give him time. There is no doubt we can get the best out of him. We need to be patient with Sandro.”

• Can Sandro Tonali succeed at Newcastle? Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive opinion is here.

🗞️ New setback for Newcastle player as he’s set to be out for five months [Shields Gazette via CaughtOffside]

Nice

• OGC Nice manager Francesco Farioli, just 34 years old and on top of the Ligue Un table. Six points vs AS Monaco and PSG, currently the best defence in the league and still unbeaten.

Real Madrid

• Could Xabi Alonso be Los Blancos new coach once Carlo Ancelotti leaves? Find out here.

Tottenham

• Christian Falk has more exclusive details on Tottenham’s buyback clause for Harry Kane here.

🗣️ Would you want Harry Kane back at White Hart Lane, Tottenham fans? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

West Ham

• Jesse Lingard has joined Al Ettifaq in training, valid for one month — as he’s still available as a free agent. Up to Lingard and Al Ettifaq if they want to proceed together. Steven Gerrard will be key to any decision too.

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