the Daily Briefing - Martinelli, Tomori, Barcelona's free agent targets, and THAT Aubameyang video
My exclusive Daily Briefing, featuring Gabriel Martinelli, Fikayo Tomori, Barcelona's plans to sign free agents, and more.
Good morning guys :-) I hope you enjoy today’s Daily Briefing!
Today’s top stories:
AC Milan
Do Chelsea have a buy-back clause for Fikayo Tomori? Click here to find out in my exclusive column.
Arsenal
EXCLUSIVE - My thoughts on THAT Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang video and his relationship with Mikel Arteta!
How did Arsenal beat Manchester United to the signing of Gabriel Martinelli when he was still a teenager? Click here to find out.
What’s the latest on Bukayo Saka’s contract situation with the Gunners? Click here for my exclusive update.
💬 What did YOU make of Aubameyang’s comments on Arteta? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Atletico Madrid
It’s been officially confirmed - Atletico Madrid have re-signed Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona on a permanent deal for €20m plus €4m add-ons.
“Happy to be where I want to be,” the player said.
Barcelona
Barcelona plan to target free agents next summer - could Youri Tielemans be one of them? Click here to read more.
Brighton
Confirmed yesterday was the sad news that Enock Mwepu has been forced to end his career at the age of just 24 after being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.
See below for his official statement:
Chelsea
Thiago Silva on his Chelsea future: “The time will come to talk, it could be time before/after the World Cup. I need to decide my contract for my family arrangements, it’s not easy. We will see what will happen.”
Chelsea manager Graham Potter on Rafael Leao deal: “You can see Leao’s quality and skills, it’s obvious — but he is part of a strong team. We have to respect that [Leao being under contract with Milan].”
Leicester City
Youri Tielemans won’t sign a new contract at Leicester - could he be Barcelona-bound?
Liverpool
More bad news for Liverpool on the injury front as Luis Diaz is ruled out of the next ten games - he’ll return after the World Cup at the end of December.
Are Liverpool interested in signing Jeremy Doku? Click here for my thoughts in my exclusive column.
📰 In other news, Liverpool have no plans to make Arthur Melo’s loan transfer from Juventus permanent (CBS Sports)
Manchester City
Nathan Ake on his failed move to Chelsea during the summer: “I’m very happy to be at Man City and I’m happy that I stayed here in the summer. I was never worried about competition.” He’s expected to stay also in January, this is currently City’s plan.
Manchester United
David de Gea on extending his stay at Man Utd: “New contract? Of course, I would like to be here for more years, so we'll see what happens in the future. I'm really, really happy here at Man United.”
Exclusive: Manchester United were offered this €25m-rated player - would it have been a good deal?
Why did Man Utd miss out on Gabriel Martinelli earlier in his career?
Barcelona are interested in free agents, so could Diogo Dalot be an option? Click here to find out more.
💬 Would you like to see David de Gea continue at Manchester United for a while longer? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!
Napoli
Hirving Lozano has been making headlines, but what’s the truth behind links with Premier League clubs?
Newcastle United
Bruno Guimaraes on Real Madrid links: “Real Madrid is the best team in the world, so… nice, but it’s just a conversation, it’s nothing. I want to be a legend at Newcastle. The ground love me and I love them. I never doubted the project.”
📰 Newcastle are continuing to look at James Maddison and Moussa Diaby as top transfer targets for January (i News)
PSG
It’s now been confirmed by PSV chief Marcel Brands that PSG have a buy-back option for Xavi Simons. It was previously denied, but PSG have this option, only available to them, not any other clubs.
Red Bull Salzburg
Clubs from the Premier League and Serie A are monitoring Red Bull Salzburg talent Noah Okafor for 2023 as an interesting opportunity on the market. His current contract expires in June 2024 and he’s one to watch after three goals in three games in the Champions League so far this season.
Spal
Former Roma midfielder and World Cup winner Daniele de Rossi has started his managerial career by taking over at Serie B side Spal. He joins Gianluigi Buffon, Filippo Inzaghi and Fabio Grosso in Italy’s second tier.
Stuttgart
Official club statement confirms Stuttgart have sacked manager Pellegrino Matarazzo with immediate effect. This decision came following a meeting yesterday morning.
Vissel Kobe
Andres Iniesta on his future: “I’ll continue at Vissel Kobe for another year... and then we’ll see. I would love to return to Barca. It’s my home, but I still don't know in what way: head coach, sports director or something like that.”
🔒 (Subscribers Only) Which free agents could Barcelona sign? How did Arsenal beat Man Utd to Martinelli? Plus my thoughts on THAT Aubameyang video
My exclusive column, featuring Barcelona's transfer plans, two important deals for Arsenal, and Aubameyang's relationship with Arteta.
Barcelona to continue to pursue free agents
Barcelona director Mateu Alemany confirmed yesterday the plan to target more free agents in 2023: “We've to focus more and more on the market of players who are free. This year we have done it with Kessie, Christensen, Marcos Alonso and Bellerin, with many more to come.”
For now, it’s too early to say precisely who they could go after, all sources told me nothing is advanced yet. For sure, Diogo Dalot is one of the players they're monitoring, but Manchester United have the option to extend his contract by another year.
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