Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Chelsea sign AS Monaco defender

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Axel Disasi from AS Monaco in a £38m deal.

The Blues, who have lost at least twelve first-team members this summer, including defender Kalidou Koulibaly, were in the market for a centre half and explored several options.

But they have now settled for Dasasi, who was playing alongside current Blues defender Benoit Badiashile last season. The ex-Monaco man has signed a six-year contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2029.

Chelsea’s sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart said:

“Axel has showcased his quality over several seasons in France, and that has deservedly led to recognition on the international stage.

“He is ready to take the next step in his career, and we are delighted that he will be with Chelsea. We welcome him to the club and look forward to him joining up with Mauricio Pochettino and his new teammates in the days ahead.”

From Axel, to you! 💙 pic.twitter.com/02XsBwv2JO
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 4, 2023

Disasi becomes Chelsea’s sixth summer signing, following the additions of Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo and Diego Moreira.

Meanwhile, new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season. His side will return to Premier League action when Liverpool make the trip to London on 13 August.

Manchester City finally agree a £78m deal for RB Leipzig defender

Manchester City have agreed a £78 million deal for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.

The Cityzens made Gvardiol their major defensive target this summer but were at loggerheads with Leipzig over the player’s valuation.

But according to reports by Goal, City have reached an agreement with the German club that will see them pay £78m for the 21-year-old.

The fee falls just shy of the record £80m fee for a defender that Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019 and has no add-ons.

City should confirm the signing in the next few days, with the defender expected to be in the matchday squad when Pep Guardiola’s side take on Arsenal in the community Sheild on Sunday.

The Croatian defender was in the stands in City’s double header of fixtures against Sint-Truidense and Altglienicke.

Meanwhile, Gvardiol’s old club Dinamo Zagreb, will receive 20 per cent of the transfer fee, which would represent major income for the country’s biggest club.

Liverpool target Fluminense midfielder as Fabinho and Henderson’s replacement

Liverpool are considering signing Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade.

The Reds lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho this summer, having already released James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain at the end of last season.

So they need midfield reinforcements despite already signing Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. They are in discussions with Southampton over the signature of Romeo Lavia, but the Saints have rejected their bids.

As a result, Jürgen Klopp’s side are looking for alternatives to fill the defensive midfield position. Sportsmail claim that they have submitted a £21m bid for Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade.

Although he is relatively unknown, the 22-year-old Brazilian is known for his passing ability. He is seen as a player who can step up to Premier League standard after shinning for Fluminense last season.

André first appeared on Fluminense’s radar at 12, when he was playing as a striker in a youth tournament.

He has made 145 appearances for Fluminense, winning successive Taca Guanabara and two Campeonato Carioca titles with Fluminense in 2022 and 2023.

Liverpool sees these qualities and believes he will be suitable for Klopp’s side, who are looking to bounce back from their failure to qualify for the Champions League last season.

However, according to reports in Portugal, Fluminense does not want to sell Andre until at least January. But it is unlikely they will reject £22m for a relatively unknown player.

Xavi admits disappointment over Ousmane Dembele’s imminent Barcelona exit

Barcelona coach Xabi Hernandez has aired his disappointment after confirming that Ousmane Dembele has requested to leave the club after agreeing personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain.

The French winger, who cost Barca anl £97m in 2017, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to £135.5m, is wanted by PSG.

The French giants reportedly sent Barcelona a letter that triggered Dembele’s £50m release clause. Although Barcelona wanted to keep him and was reluctant to accept PSG’s offer, the 26-year-old informed the club he wanted to return to France.

Following Barcelona’s 1-0 pre-season win over AC Milan, Xavi confirmed Relevo Dembele’s desire to leave and admitted he is unhappy with how the situation unfolded.

“I will be very clear, he has told us he wants to leave, he has a proposal from PSG, and we can’t do anything,” Xavi said.

“It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because we have taken care of him so that he is happy here. A little disappointed, yes I am.”

Although Dembele suffered consistent injury issues in his first few years in Spain, he returned to form last term, contributing five goals and seven assists in 25 La Liga games for the Camp Niu club.

Xavi was happy with his return to form and was keen on keeping him. However, the Spanish coach has admitted the club could not match PSG’s contract offer.

He added: “We cannot compete with the proposal they’ve made to him; it’s out of our reach.

“It’s simple. He came to me with a proposal from PSG. He said that he wanted to leave, that he had spoken with Luis Enrique, with Nasser and has a proposal with which we cannot compete. We have asked him the reason, and he has not been able to answer. I sense that it will be something personal. Disappointed? Yes. The important thing is that he has been clear. I wish him luck.

“He looked so happy to me; I did not expect it. That is the market. Whoever doesn’t want to be at Barca you have to let him go.”

Arsenal star fears being priced out of summer departure

Folarin Balogun is reportedly concerned that the money Arsenal is demanding from Inter Milan for his signature is too much and will cost him a move this summer.

The Arsenal striker is wanted by Inter this summer, with the Serie A side keen to bring him in after making him their number one number nine option.

They have reportedly opened talks with Arsenal for the 21-year-old, who spent last season successfully on loan at Reims.

However, Arsenal have placed a £45 million price tag on Balogun, causing Inter Milan to pause their negotiations to focus on West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca.

Balogun is unhappy with Arsenal’s demand, as he considers it too much. According to transfer expert Ben Jacobs, “Balogun feels Arsenal have added £10m extra to fee, and it’s pricing him out the market. #AFC argue their valuation is more than fair given his 22 goals last season at Reims and his potential. Some at the club want £50m as a minimum.”

Meanwhile, the American international will inform the Gunners to lower their asking price to avoid denying him a permanent move this summer.

Balogun has already told Arsenal he won’t be sitting on the bench nor going on another loan, so a move away this summer is the most likely outcome.

Per Jacobs, West Ham could bid for Balogun should they sell Scamacca, while RB Leipzig are also interested in the US international.

Burnley leading the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga on loan

Premier League, new boys Burnley are reportedly leading the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga on loan.

The Belgian midfielder, who spent six months on loan at Crystal Palace last season, is one of the several players Arsenal are looking to sell or send out on loan this summer as he does not feature in his plans.

And according to The Evening Standard, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany is eager to reunite with the 23-year-old after managing him at Anderlecht.

Lokonga joined Arsenal from Anderlecht in 2021 and has made 39 appearances for the Gunners. But his time at the Emirates has been unproductive, and Mikel Arteta wouldn’t mind if he departed before the transfer window’s closure.

Burnley have already brought in a host of players to ensure they are prepared to impact the Premier League.

The Clarets have signed Dara O’Shea, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Zeki Amdouni, Nathan Redmond, Lawrence Vigoroux, Michael Obafemi and Luca Koleosho this summer alone.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are focusing on outgoings after already signing Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice.

Other players like Nicolas Pepe, Auston Trusty, and Cedric Soares are among those who could depart. Trusty is the subject of interest from Sheffield United, while clubs in France want Pepe.

Fabinho leaves Liverpool for Al-Ittihad

Liverpool has announced the departure of Brazilian international Fabinho, with the midfielder joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

The 29-year-old made 219 appearances for the Reds after joining for a reported £39m deal from Monaco in 2018.

Five trophies, 219 games and many memorable moments during his time at the Reds, @_fabinhotavares ✨ pic.twitter.com/h9e9lE5AMi
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 31, 2023

He scored eleven goals and recorded nine assists, winning six major honours in six seasons at the club.

“Fabinho Tavares has today completed a permanent transfer to Al-Ittihad after five years with the Reds,” a club statement said.

“We would like to thank Fabinho for all of his contributions to the club’s successes during the last five years.”

The midfielder also posted a heartfelt message to Liverpool and its fans on Twitter.

“Today, I leave my home. It’s been five years wearing this jersey, and always with the greatest honour and happiness possible.

“Since day one at Liverpool, I’ve been embraced by everyone. What I saw inside this club, the relationship between the people there, made me feel like family. In these five years, I grew as a player, as a man, I made dreams come true… With that jersey, I won every title a player can dream of. Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup…

“Thanks to Liverpool, I reached my highest level and played in the World Cup. Thanks to Liverpool, I fulfilled my dream of walking into a stadium with my son in my arms. Thanks to Liverpool, I played in the best stadium in the world, with the best atmosphere in the world, which is Anfield.

“Thanks to Liverpool, I lived the biggest match of my life, the comeback against Barcelona, which was only possible thanks to Anfield. That moment will always be in my memory. I love what this crowd represents for the club. This love relationship between the club and the fans has always impressed me.

“And I can say without fear that “You’ll never walk alone”, after that match, alongside our fans, was the most defining moment of my career with Liverpool. I say this with a heart full of joy: I love this club.

“Thank you, Reds, for everything we’ve experienced together. You will never walk alone. #YNWA ❤️🙏🏾”.

Fabinho is Al-Ittihad’s fourth big player from Europe this summer. He follows Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Jota to the Saudi Pro League champions.

Bayern Munich chiefs in London for Harry Kane talks

Bayern Munich executives are reportedly in London to discuss with Daniel Levy over the transfer of Harry Kane.

The Bavarians have been vocal about their desire to bring Kane to Allianz Arena this summer but have met with strong resistance from Spurs’ chairman Levy thus far.

The Bundesliga club put in two bids reported to be worth around £70m. However, Levy and Tottenham have deemed both proposals too small for the 30-year-old, who has just one year left on his deal in North London.

In a bid to trash out the deal, Bayern Munich chiefs Jan-Christian Dreesen (club’s CEO) and Marco Neppe (technical director) jetted to London on Monday for a second set of face-to-face talks with the Spurs chairman.

Tottenham expect the Bavarians to submit a club-record bid for Kane, who is their primary target to fill the vacancy left by Robert Lewandowski last season.

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of speculation Bayern’s president, Herbert Hainer, has insisted talks between Tottenham and Bayern have been smooth despite the widespread panic that the deal was called off last weekend.

“Sometimes people read too much into normal processes,” Hainer told TZ.

“What I can say is that Daniel Levy is a professional. We all have the utmost respect for him.”

Chelsea keen on bringing in Brighton goalkeeper on a season-long loan

Chelsea are reportedly exploring the option of signing out-of-favour Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez on loan.

The Spanish goalkeeper was one of the first names at the Amex Stadium under Graham Potter. But after falling out of favour with Potter’s replacement Roberto de Zerbi, who preferred Jason Steele, Sanchez is currently in no man’s land.

According to reports, Brighton is willing to allow the Cartagena-born goalie to leave on loan, with Chelsea being interested in the offer.

As reported by talkSPORT, the Blues want a cover and competition for Stamford Bridge’s number one, Kepa Arrizabalaga and see Sanchez as a cheap and ideal candidate.

With Chelsea’s former number two Edouard Mendy already at Saudi Ppro League side Al-Ahli, and Gabriel Slonina being tipped to leave this summer, Mauricio Pochettino wants to ensure he has enough bodies to cover in goal.

Chelsea feel they can get the deal over the line as Brighton are keen on loaning out Sanchez to avoid keeping him on the bench with a huge salary.

Meanwhile, Pochettino praised Kepa Arrizabalaga on Friday, stating that he is pleased with the Spaniard.

“We are so happy with him,” Pochettino told reporters.

“We are so happy with him, and he is a fantastic keeper.”

‘These things, it needs time’-Jurgen Klopp calls for patience for Liverpool summer signing

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged fans to reduce their expectations from the club’s summer signing Alexis Mac Allister.

The Reds boss, who watched as his side put in a perfect show on Sunday when they beat Leicester City 4-0, admitted he was impressed with new signing Mac Allister in the game.

However, he also urged fans to remain patient with the Argentine as he gets used to life at Anfield.

Mac Allister joined the Reds earlier this summer in a £35m deal from Brighton. The Argentina international has seen plenty of minutes during pre-season and really made an impact during the recent 4-0 victory over Leicester, being singled out by Klopp after the game.

“When we found Macca between the lines, he was really good,” Klopp told The Athletic. “That helped us speed the game up.”

Four goals from four different scorers in Singapore, as we ran out winners against Leicester City ⚽⚽⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/y5AKgzRLRG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 31, 2023

But even though he has already been impressed by Mac Allister, Klopp insisted the 24-year-old is not yet at his best and warned fans he will need time to fully learn his place in Liverpool’s system.

“So, we have to work on it, and we work on that. We have a lot of options in the areas, and the boys need to show up.

“Good player. These things, it needs time,” Klopp said of Mac Allister. “Even in the season, it’s not that you have the first game and then it’s the best game of the season – that would be really horrible if that would be the case.

“It’s not pressure. It’s just the situation because I think it was clear when we scored in the first half three goals, but in the second half, Cody [Gakpo] and Dom [Szoboszlai] and Luis [Diaz] and Ben [Doak], to be honest, that was pretty special. And Harvey [Elliott] as well really showed up.”

Joshua Oha

Chelsea sign AS Monaco defender

Manchester City finally agree a £78m deal for RB Leipzig defender

Liverpool target Fluminense midfielder as Fabinho and Henderson’s replacement

Xavi admits disappointment over Ousmane Dembele’s imminent Barcelona exit

Arsenal star fears being priced out of summer departure

Burnley leading the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga on loan

Fabinho leaves Liverpool for Al-Ittihad

Bayern Munich chiefs in London for Harry Kane talks

Chelsea keen on bringing in Brighton goalkeeper on a season-long loan

‘These things, it needs time’-Jurgen Klopp calls for patience for Liverpool summer signing

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