This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

‘Here we go’ x3 for Manchester United, plus update on midfielder search

Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham is a ‘here we go’ and it’s a crucial story because, as I reported previously, Manchester United were waiting for Wan-Bissaka to leave in order to be able to bring in a new right-back and also a new centre-back.

Now it’s happening, with Wan-Bissaka joining West Ham in a permanent transfer, and it’s an important sale as United could have lost him on a free when his contract would have expired next summer. Inter were also interested in the 26-year-old, though it would have been in a year’s time as a free agent, not in a swap deal this summer. Still, Wan-Bissaka decided to accept the offer from West Ham for a five-year contract, and he’ll have his medical tests with the Hammers this morning.

So, everything is done for Wan-Bissaka to move from Man United to West Ham for £15m – this is the value of the deal, and West Ham are truly on fire at the moment with a big summer that has seen them appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager whilst also completing deals like Wan-Bissaka, and also Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville and others.

As I previously reported, United want to attack the market and now we can say that it’s ‘here we go’ for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to move to Old Trafford. The deal is done with Bayern, and we have to congratulate United because the deal has been completed as they wanted – the timing was longer than expected, but it was worth it for United.

It was not always easy negotiating with Bayern, who for months insisted on guaranteed money, not add-ons, but United always wanted to get the deals done with add-ons. Now we can say that De Ligt will be joining the Red Devils for €45m plus €5m in add-ons. Bayern sources say these add-ons will be quite easy to reach, but it’s still structured quite favourably for United, and for Mazraoui it’s also €15m plus €5m in add-ons.

Now both players will travel to join United and both are set to sign five-year deals. In the case of De Ligt, this agreement was actually reached with his agent Rafaela Pimenta back in June, so he’s been waiting and waiting for United and was never negotiating with any other club. Mazraoui has also been waiting patiently since July, with United at times considering other right-back options like Vanderson and Denzel Dumfries. Still, Mazraoui looks a good option as he knows Erik ten Hag well from their time at Ajax, and he can fill in at left-back as well as on the right-hand side.

So, this is the double deal between Bayern and United, and now Bayern are expected to sign one more centre-back. Jonathan Tah’s agent is still working on the deal for him to move to the Allianz Arena so let’s wait for developments there, but he’s expected to be the new centre-back for the Bavarian giants.

United also remain busy in the search for a new midfielder – they spoke with the agents of Sander Berge and have considered other options, but their top target remains Manuel Ugarte. PSG will have to drop their price as United will not pay crazy money, otherwise they could also sell one player in that position, it could be Scott McTominay or Casemiro, we will see, but they will likely need a sale in order to finance the deal.

Still, United could also go for a cheaper midfielder, so Berge could be one to watch after contacts with his agent, while Sofyan Amrabat remains a player on their list even after they initially decided not to sign him permanently from Fiorentina after last season’s loan came to an end. Amrabat remains appreciated by Ten Hag, so there are some Plan B options behind Ugarte, but let’s wait and see what happens with PSG on that one.

Two new signings close for Chelsea, but “impossible” for this Blues star to stay

Samu Omorodion is in London and ready to sign his seven-year deal with Chelsea, while Pedro Neto is also close to completing the formalities of his move as the Blues plan to unveil him in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge today.

Still, we also know that there are a few Chelsea players now out of the project – Romelu Lukaku, who has a three-year deal in place with Napoli, but also Kepa Arrizabalaga who is still dreaming of Real Madrid.

As well as that, Armando Broja is no longer training with the first-team, and it’s the same with Trevoh Chalobah. Both players are on the market, with Chalobah’s asking price at around £30m. It’s also important to say that David Datro Fofana is another player who could leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer, or on loan with an obligation.

Lukaku will not stay at Chelsea. Impossible. I keep saying it’s Napoli for Lukaku, regardless of the Osimhen story. Conte wants him, he wants to work with Conte, a three-year deal is ready and Napoli can accelerate soon. I don’t see any other option. Nothing is happening with Osimhen this week, there are no updates, but it’s not that strongly linked to Lukaku, and in any case the plan remains for the Nigerian striker to leave Napoli. Chelsea are still waiting, but for Osimhen we have to be patient because he is still not accepting a loan move, which is the only option at the moment for Chelsea, and also because Osimhen will not reduce his salary.

So, the conditions of the deal will have to change, or else other things could happen with the Osimhen story in the final few weeks of this summer’s transfer market.

There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona. Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.

Chelsea have also not received proposals from Juventus for Raheem Sterling so far, and Sterling has received no contact from Italy yet, despite rumours. What I’m told is that Juventus are working on the Nico Gonzalez deal with Fiorentina as their priority for the new winger.

Three Liverpool transfer updates

Liverpool are still working to convince Martin Zubimendi to join the club and are waiting for his final decision. Just a reminder that other clubs such as Arsenal have also been interested in the Real Sociedad midfielder in recent times but were unable to persuade him to move, though there were no negotiations from the Gunners for him this summer.

Elsewhere with Liverpool, Fabio Carvalho is closing in on completing his move to Brentford. It’s a permanent deal worth £20m plus add-ons. However, there is no news at all on Virgil van Dijk, despite some stories at various points this summer.

It’s currently very quiet as Liverpool are counting on Van Dijk and there are no significant updates so far. In my opinion, he should stay and continue as he’s a key player for Liverpool and new manager Arne Slot will need him and the quality and experience he brings.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

In other news…

Jadon Sancho – There’s still no major update on Jadon Sancho’s future, but he remains one of the cases of this market. PSG have been making contact with Sancho’s agents, but there’s no bid yet, and he’s back in the Man United squad so let’s see what they will decide to do.

Marc Guehi – Newcastle are still there, yes. It’s not over yet. They want to try again but Crystal Palace insist on £65m fee. There are currently no other clubs involved, but Newcastle have not completed the deal yet so it’s one to follow in the next days.

Vladimir Coufal – There has been talk of West Ham sales, and it is the case that Coufal could leave and also some players upfront, but for now I can guarantee that focus remains on completing signings. The Wan-Bissaka deal is being sealed, then West Ham will discuss outgoings in the final three weeks, with nothing imminent yet.

The post Transfer news: ‘Here we go’ for Man Utd deals, two Chelsea signings imminent, Liverpool update & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Crystal Palace are lining up a bid to sign midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea this summer, according to reports.

Chukwuemeka is a product of the Aston Villa youth system and made 16 senior appearances for the club between May 2021 and July 2022.

The midfielder then signed for Chelsea, where he’s played 27 times across all competitions during the past two seasons, scoring twice but never truly establishing himself as a first-team regular.

Still only 20 years old, Chukwuemeka is a player with considerable talent and has 25 caps to his name across various youth levels for England, who he helped win the 2022 U19 Euros — being named in the Team of the Tournament along the way.

In fact, with Chelsea looking to thin their squad after another busy summer of spending, Spanish giants Barcelona have been heavily linked with his signature — although Fabrizio Romano has cooled speculation slightly.

“There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona,” Romano told CaughtOffside.

“Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days, we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.”

Crystal Palace lining up Chukwuemeka bid

According to The Sun (via The Chelsea Chronicle), Crystal Palace are also lining up a bid for Chukwuemeka.

The report states that the Eagles are ‘willing to spend big’ on the youngster, who is keen to leave Stamford Bridge in search of first-team football, with new manager Enzo Maresca seemingly preferring other options.

The post Crystal Palace willing to spend big to beat Barcelona to Chelsea star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle United are keen on bringing Barcelona star Raphinha back to the Premier League before the end of the window.

Eddie Howe wants to reinforce his attack before the end of the transfer deadline. The Newcastle manager seeks more depth out wide on the flanks and according to a report from Football Insider, the Magpies would love to add former Leeds United winger Raphinha to their squad.

On the back of his impressive rise at the English club, Barcelona forked out a significant fee to sign him in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian international has been a consistent performer for them. Despite his performances and the fact that he still has three years left on his deal, the 27-year-old forward’s future has been uncertain for a while now.

There was a significant amount of interest in his services from the Middle East. Multiple Saudi Arabian clubs wanted to sign him and they even submitted offers. But, he has rejected those opportunities to continue at the Catalan club.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Will Raphinha return to England?

While Raphinha is determined to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place in the starting XI following the rise of Lamine Yamal, Newcastle United are planning to make a move for his services. The Magpies want more quality on the flanks and Howe feels the Brazilian forward could be an ideal addition as he can feature on either flank. But, Barcelona’s asking price could be a major problem for the English outfit.

The Catalan giants will demand a significant fee to offload him and they are in the driving seat with three years left on his deal. The Magpies are aware of how difficult it could be to prise the 27-year-old away from Barcelona. As a result, they have been looking at alternative options who could help their cause.

The post Newcastle looking to bring 27-year-old attacker back to England appeared first on CaughtOffside.

There has been no offer from Barcelona for Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka so far this summer, according to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano.

The talented 20-year-old looks a fine prospect but has so far struggled to fully establish himself at Stamford Bridge, largely because of fitness concerns, while there is already plenty of competition for a place in this Blues squad.

Chukwuemeka has been linked as a possible target for Barca, but Romano has discussed these rumours with CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his exclusive Daily Briefing column, and has played down the story.

Things could change, of course, but for now it seems there’s nothing particularly concrete to the Chukwuemeka to Barcelona rumours, so Chelsea fans will probably be reassured by this news as it gives the Englishman another chance to try to make more of an impact for the club this season.

Chukwuemeka transfer links with Barcelona played down by Romano

“There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona,” Romano said.

“Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.”

Chelsea do have an overly inflated squad, though, so it may be that this is something which will need addressing soon.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

A number of CFC first-team players will most likely leave soon, with Romano mentioning Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja as likely candidates for the exit door, though he has not yet suggested that Chukwuemeka is particularly likely to leave.

Barcelona could do well, however, to snap up this big prospect and give him a chance if Chelsea are ultimately not willing to do that in the months ahead.

The post No offer so far from Barcelona for potential transfer of Chelsea midfielder appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle United’s initial bid worth €15 million has been rejected by Barcelona and the Magpies could return with a revised offer for Ferran Torres. 

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have been quite busy in the ongoing transfer window. They have already made a lot of additions to their squad but there is still work to be done as we head into the final few weeks of the transfer window.

The Magpies want more firepower in their attack and they are interested in the services of Ferran Torres. According to a report from Fichajes, Newcastle’s initial offer of €15 million plus add-ons for the Spanish international has been rejected by Barcelona. But, the Magpies haven’t given up yet and they could return with a revised offer in the near future.

The Catalan giants forked out a massive €55 million to sign Torres from Manchester City in the winter of 2022. While he has done a decent job for them, the former Valencia graduate hasn’t been able to establish himself as a mainstay in the team. The Spanish winger still has three years left on his deal at Barcelona but he is not a part of Hansi Flick’s plans moving ahead. As a result, they are ready to cash in on the 24-year-old.

The Spanish giants are not in the best of financial situation and his departure could help them raise a decent amount of funds which can be reinvested into their squad. Barcelona have set an asking price of €30 million for Torres as they look to recoup a part of what they had invested to bring him to Camp Nou.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Newcastle looking at attacking reinforcements

Newcastle did consider pushing for the services of Raphinha but the former Manchester City winger is a much cheaper alternative for them. More importantly, he is well capable of featuring anywhere in the attack. His arrival will add depth to the flanks and provide cover for their star striker Alexander Isak. While Barcelona have rejected Newcastle’s €15 million plus add-ons offer, the Magpies haven’t given up on the chase and could return with a revised offer before the end of the window.

The post Newcastle could return with improved offer for 24-year-old attacker appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Barcelona have knocked on the doors of Tottenham to enquire about the availability of Sergio Reguilon.

Barcelona haven’t done much in the ongoing transfer window. Their financial struggles have restricted their movements. But, since they have successfully added Dani Olmo to their squad, the Catalan giants can now look at other areas that need reinforcement.

The Spanish giants want to reinforce their backline and according to Lyall Thomas, they have been making enquiries about Sergio Reguilon who seems to be surplus to requirements at Tottenham. The Spanish full-back has spent last the two seasons out on loan and Barcelona are exploring conditions to sign him in the ongoing transfer window.

Reguilon came up the ranks at Real Madrid. While he couldn’t establish himself in their first team, an impressive loan spell at Sevilla resulted in a permanent move to Tottenham in the summer of 2020. Spurs had a lot of expectations from him but the 27-year-old full-back has failed to live up to them. He spent the 2022/23 season out on loan at Atletico Madrid and last season, he was out on loan at Manchester United and Brentford.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Barcelona keen on Sergio Reguilon

With just a year left on his deal at the North London club, Barcelona are looking to secure his services in a cut-price deal. The Catalan giants do not have enough depth in the full-back department. While the initial idea was to permanently sign Joao Cancelo, there hasn’t been much development on that front.

Alejandro Balde and Álex Valle are the two left-back options at Hansi Flick’s disposal. As a result, they are looking at Reguilon who has a lot of experience. They have already made inquiries about the Tottenham full-back and since he doesn’t seem to be a part of their plans moving ahead, Spurs might not have a problem offloading him.

The post Barcelona looking to raid Tottenham for 27-year-old first-team ace appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

—

West Ham will only move for Trippier if Wan-Bissaka deal breaks down

Talks with Aaron Wan-Bissaka continue for West Ham and he remains their priority for the right-back position, although it is a complicated deal to get over the line.

Despite the rumours, I’m not aware of talks for Arnau Martinez, and Kieran Trippier will only be an option if the Wan Bissaka deal falls through.

There’s no imminent move for Vladimir Coufal either from what I heard.

Chalobah will take his time and choose the best option

On Trevoh Chalobah’s situation, Crystal Palace are interested but it’s the same with clubs from abroad.

Chalobah will take his time to decide what will be the best opportunity for him.

What I’m told too is that Crystal Palace also have Lacroix on their shortlist, a player that’s really appreciated by Glasner.

So, a decision will be made once Marc Guehi’s future is clarified as talks with Newcastle are still ongoing, not done yet.

De Gea has a verbal agreement with Fiorentina

The former Manchester United goalkeeper, finally back after more than almost 13/14 months with no activity on the pitch, is gonna play in Serie A.

Let’s wait for the signature because we know that with agents it’s always kind of dangerous on the market, but the verbal agreement is in place.

David said yes to Fiorentina. One year contract plus one year option, €2m net salary plus €1m in add-ons.

Good luck to David, after a long time out of the game for him.

Arsenal continue working on Nketiah and Merino deals

I also wanted to mention what’s going on at Arsenal, because we know that they are busy with the situation of Eddie Nketiah after selling Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham.

It was kind of a tense situation with Marseille because they had an agreement with the player. Nketiah wants to go to Marseille, he’s open to joining and attracted by the project.

But the negotiations were really tense in the recent days because Marseille had a new bid rejected and so they started exploring other options.

What they are doing now is to renegotiate again with Arsenal for Eddie Nketiah.

What I’m hearing is that they presented a new proposal in the last 24 hours, but now they want to close the deal only at their conditions – because they already spent other money in other positions.

Remember that Arsenal are also working to close the deal for Mikel Merino.

He hasn’t been called up for Real Sociedad’s next game because they say that he’s not 100 percent fit, but we know the transfer is behind this story because Mikel Merino has an agreement with Arsenal.

The contract is already agreed. The player said yes. He knows that Mikel Arteta wants him. This is the reality.

Arsenal have been closing in on the deal since last week, but they need to agree on the payment structure, payment terms, so a work in progress.

Barca pushing for Nico but Athletic are relaxed

Lots of questions still regarding Nico Williams, and as I wrote on Substack yesterday guys, no changes…

Barça keep calling Nico’s agent, but at the moment Athletic Club remain completely confident and optimistic to keep him at the club.

They are sure that Nico will end up staying. Barça have a dream and they are trying to make it a reality, but Athletic are currently relaxed.

Still chances for Ivan Toney to find a new club

I think there’s still a chance for a move to happen this summer for Ivan Toney.

There could be movements in the next days and weeks, but there’s nothing imminent so far.

We have to see about which clubs have a concrete interest, because about 10 different clubs have been rumoured to be interested in him this summer.

I don’t want to put out names without any concrete updates but, for sure, it’s still an open situation.

Richarlison’s focus won’t change Tottenham’s plans for Solanke

There are no changes to Tottenham’s plans on signing Dominic Solanke, despite Richarlison wanting to stay.

Solanke remains the priority target.

Richarlison is fully focused on Spurs and Tottenham were already aware of this so his situation doesn’t change the plan to bring in more players.

It’s never easy to negotiate with Bournemouth but Spurs are trying.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Chris Smalling could be on the move this summer

Roma are looking for a new centre-back and Smalling could leave in the case of a good proposal for both Roma and the player.

Jadon Sancho’s situation is still wide open

I wanted to finish by mentioning Jadon Sancho. It’s important to say that his situation too remains open.

He is 100 percent part of the Man United team, but in case of a formal proposal in the next three weeks, there could still be movement for Jadon Sancho.

Man United could be open to doing business and the player could also be open to the move, so it all depends on the proposals.

Now, everything is okay, but PSG and others have been making contact with Sancho’s agents.

Still no bid but the situation is one to watch until the end of the window.

The post Transfer news: Trippier not West Ham’s priority, Sancho situation open and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Barcelona would like to add a new wide player to their squad this summer and it is being reported that the Catalan club have made contact with the representatives of Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman.

The 28-year-old is a player Hansi Flick knows very well having worked with the French talent in Munich and the German coach will have strong feelings towards the player as he scored the winning goal in the 2020 Champions League final as Bayern defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0.

The Bavarian club won the treble that season and Coman contributed with eight goals and seven assists across 38 games in all competitions.

Overall, Flick managed Coman in 63 games and the winger would produce 13 goals and eight assists while working under the German coach.

The former Bayern boss is now considering reuniting with the Frenchman as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports that contact has been made between the winger and Barcelona over the past few days. The La Liga giants have been told that a loan deal is possible, which will be music to the Catalan outfit’s ears given their financial issues.

However, nothing is concrete or serious yet as Barca are still hopeful of signing Athletic Club’s Nico Williams before the summer transfer window shuts.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Barcelona could make a late move for Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman

A move for Williams is not realistic for Barcelona this summer, therefore, the likelihood of the Catalan club making an attempt to sign Coman towards the end of the window is high.

Plettenberg states that Barca need to offload some players and free up wage space before a deal can be done, which in itself shows that a move for Williams is not possible if the La Liga club have to do this before submitting a loan proposal.

The signing of Coman would be a risky one for Barcelona as the winger has declined in recent seasons and has been very injury-prone.

The post Contact made: Barcelona considering surprise move for top Bayern Munich star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

It’s been a breathless week in Spain in the transfer window, without much actually being confirmed. There are a lot of people on transport to new cities though.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez looks as if his flight from Ibiza is booked for early next week to compete a €75m plus €20m in variables deal to Atletico Madrid. Samu Omorodion will fly for London once the Olympics are over on Friday, to complete a €42m move to Chelsea.

Going the other way will be Conor Gallagher. He did not travel for 48 hours after making a decision on his future, mostly because Atletico tried to pull out of a €42m deal for him. Valencia Sporting Director Miguel Angel Corona did them no favours by revealing they wanted Javi Guerra instead, who they had also agreed a deal for. He had booked off training and booked a train to Madrid, but was told not to get on.

Such has been the excitement at Atletico that Kylian Mbappe’s first training session at Real Madrid has almost gone unnoticed. Arsenal fans could well be able to celebrate the signing of Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, with a bid due before the end of the week, but Real Madrid are reportedly part of the reason they did not go after teammate Martin Zubimendi this summer, for the first time in three years.

#RealMadrid beat #ChelseaFC 2-1 in their final warm-up before the European Supercup.pic.twitter.com/d25fQpi792

— Football España (@footballespana_) August 7, 2024

It might be the year they persuade him to leave though: the €60m Zubimendi is keen on a move to Liverpool, but is facing an effort from Real Sociedad to convince him to stay. Both leaving would be disastrous for the Txuri-Urdin.

Barcelona were of course the other power in the mix for Zubimendi for the past two years, but it looks as if they will forego the midfield spot entirely to bring in Dani Olmo, who arrived on Tuesday – but notably has not been announced. Nico Williams looks as if he will stay at Athletic Club after returning to training a week early in Bilbao, but Barcelona maintain they are still trying to sign him. At least one midfielder is having an impact at Barcelona though, with new coach Thiago Alcantara proving a valuable addition.

Finally, there have been plenty of run-ins with the authorities this week. Alvaro Morata and Rodri Hernandez will pick-up a one-match ban from UEFA for chanting ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ during their Euro 2024 celebrations. That was a minor offence compared to ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola, who spent Monday morning in an Andorran jail cell.

The post Inside Spain: Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino latest, Gibraltar bans and Conor Gallagher chaos appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Javier Saviola, the former Barcelona and Argentina striker, spent a night in prison after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to reports from local outlet Altaveu, Saviola was returning from a private party in Andorra when he was stopped by local police. He tested positive for 1.10 grams of alcohol in his blood, exceeding the legal limit by 0.6 grams.

Following his arrest, Saviola was taken into custody and spent the night in prison. He now faces the prospect of losing his driving licence for a year.

More Stories / Latest News

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Aug 12 2024, 0:18

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Javier Saviola’s football legacy

Saviola, who joined Barcelona in 2001 from River Plate, enjoyed a prolific career, making 172 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring 72 goals, and providing 30 assists.

Before his time in Spain, Saviola made headlines in Argentina by breaking Diego Maradona’s long-standing record as the youngest player to win the golden boot in top-flight Argentinian football while playing for River Plate.

His illustrious career saw him play for several other Spanish teams including Real Madrid, Sevilla and Malaga and ended up moving back to River Plate in the end where he ultimately retired.

The post Former Barcelona star who broke Maradona’s record gets arrested in Andorra appeared first on CaughtOffside.