Man Utd explore Baleba deal - Thursday's gossip
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
'Sonny in LA' - Son joins LAFC in MLS record deal
LOS ANGELES, Aug 6 (Reuters) - South Korean forward Son Heung-min said he is "here to win" after he joined Los Angeles FC for a record Major League Soccer transfer fee, ending a decade-long stint at Tottenham Hotspur. Son was introduced at LAFC's BMO Stadium on Wednesday, where he was greeted by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and city officials amid chants and drumming from supporters' group 3252. "What can I say, dream come true. LA, what a city," Son told reporters at his unveiling. Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed by either club but the Athletic reported LAFC paid a fee in the region of $26.5 million for the 33-year-old. Son revealed LAFC was not his initial preference, but credited the club's co-president and general manager John Thorrington with persuading him to make the switch. "He just changed my mind, heart, he changed my brain. He showed me the destination where I should be and right now I'm here and I'm so, so excited," said Son, who attended LAFC's 2-1 win over Tigres UANL on Tuesday night. "I'm here to win, I will perform and I will definitely show you some exciting football, and we will definitely have success," he said. The move is expected to resonate with Los Angeles' sizeable Korean community, with LAFC's stadium located just south of Koreatown. Son follows in the footsteps of other international stars who have joined LAFC, including Carlos Vela, Giorgio Chiellini, Olivier Giroud, and former Tottenham teammates Gareth Bale and Hugo Lloris. Son, who joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, led the north London club to their first trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final in May. The former Spurs captain made 454 appearances for the team and scored 173 goals, winning the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2021-22 season. Reflecting on his departure from Tottenham, Son described the move as 'very emotional.' "I felt like I needed a new chapter, I needed a new challenge and I chose LAFC," he said. "I think you could say I'm old but I still have good physicality, good legs, and still have a good quality. "Obviously I'm here to perform but I also want to give some advice to some young players for improvement. "I can't wait... Let's do it together and win the trophy." It was not immediately clear when Son will make his debut for the Black and Gold, who are currently sixth in the Western Conference and travel to face Chicago Fire on Saturday. LAFC's Thorrington called signing Son an "historic" day for the club. "Sonny is a world class talent, a global icon of football and we're thrilled that he has chosen to write the next chapter of his remarkable career with us here at LAFC," he said. Son, capped 134 times by South Korea, joins LAFC after an emotional farewell to Spurs during a friendly against Newcastle United at Seoul World Cup Stadium. "Sonny has given so much to this club, both on and off the pitch, and for that we are forever grateful," Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said in a club statement. "We wish him all the best for the future, and he will always be welcome back as a beloved and cherished member of our Spurs family."
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Premier League 2025-26 preview No 7: Chelsea
Guardian writers' predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler's prediction but the average of our writers' tips) Last season's position: 4th Securing Champions League qualification on the last day of the Premier League season and an unlikely Club World Cup triumph have transformed the club, their finances and ambitions for 2025-26. Chelsea stayed relatively under the radar for much of the Club World Cup – in part because of their relatively kind route to the later stages – but their commanding 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the final means they are again regarded as a potentially dominant European force and perhaps even as contenders for the Premier League title. That is if Chelsea are ready – mentally, physically and tactically – for the new season. By the time Chelsea played the Club World Cup final on 13 July, nearly every other Premier League side had started their pre-season. Since then, while Liverpool, Arsenal and co have been hard at work, the players have had three weeks off and returned on Monday, with two friendly matches, two days apart, scheduled before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 17 August. To say Chelsea are playing catch-up is a severe understatement. That said, this is probably the most exciting period for Chelsea since the Champions League triumph in 2021. With the exception of goalkeeper and possibly centre-back, Enzo Maresca has a claim to having two elite players in every position and he could yet add further depth with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho heavily linked. Departures will be needed to trim the fat and balance the books – Chelsea were given a €31m (£27m) fine last month by Uefa for breaking financial rules – but few would argue against them having the deepest squad in the league and one of Maresca's biggest challenges will be maintaining harmony and continuity, on and off the pitch. Last season, the Conference League was a useful chance to rest and rotate players. The Champions League will not be so accommodating. As recently as April, Maresca was at odds with the Chelsea fans and appeared to blame a negative environment at Stamford Bridge for a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich that left top-five hopes fading fast. But five wins from the final six league games secured fourth place, saving Chelsea's season and possibly Maresca's job. 'They were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough,' he said. 'Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. So in English, how do you say? Eff-off to all of them.' Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph – and the tactical masterclass by Maresca in the final to neutralise PSG's front three and create pockets of space for Cole Palmer – means he will get a very different reception at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea's league opener. Chelsea's much-maligned financial gymnastics of recent years – the eight-year contract amortisation (a loophole closed by Uefa), the sale of their hugely successful women's team (to their own parent company) and their rampant use of multiclub ownership and the loan system – have infuriated rivals and allowed them to assemble one of the deepest, youngest, most talented squads around. In the Todd Boehly era, Chelsea have spent more than £1.5bn and the club face an additional €60m fine from Uefa if they fail to comply with regulations over the next four years. A bigger stadium would help, but what Chelsea do with Stamford Bridge remains unclear; the 40,044-capacity ground is not easily developed given challenges ranging from the freehold to a nearby railway line. A move to Earl's Court has been mooted. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Estêvão was courted by PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and is widely regarded as the biggest talent to come out of Brazil since Vinícius Júnior. The 18-year-old's performances at the Club World Cup – including a brilliant strike for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the quarter-final – suggests that the summer arrival is already world class. Players swooned over the teenager at the final whistle in Philadelphia – 'I told Estêvão: 'We are excited for you to join' but he didn't understand a single word I said,' Palmer said after swapping shirts with the £52m signing. Capable off both wings or as a No 10, the slender Estêvão will want to impress the former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, now of Brazil, before the World Cup next summer. 'He potentially can be a top defender for this club,' Maresca said of Josh Acheampong after the defender's performances at the Club World Cup prompted whispers that several clubs in England and Europe were tracking the teenager. How the 19-year-old fits into Maresca's plans remains to be seen, but his versatility, 6ft 3in stature and composure enabled him to enjoy a breakthrough year with 13 first-team appearances. Naturally a right-back or a centre-back but capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Acheampong joined Chelsea as an under-eight and signed a new five-year contract in 2024. 'The clubs that were mentioned, they like Josh, but we also like Josh,' Maresca said. 'The best plan for Josh is to be with us.' Roméo Lavia. The 21-year-old's quality is not in question. Chelsea are a better side with Lavia, more fluid and press-resistant, and he was sensational in a 3-1 win against Liverpool in May when he completed 100% of his passes. Maresca even moved Moisés Caicedo to right-back to accommodate Lavia alongside Enzo Fernández at the back end of last season, but concerns remain over the Belgian's fitness. After a first year when he managed 32 minutes in 2023-24, another injury-hit campaign followed, starting 11 league games. Another year on the sidelines could spell trouble, particularly as Chelsea have Caicedo, Fernández, Dário Essugo, the impressive Andrey Santos and perhaps Reece James competing for two spots in defensive midfield in Maresca's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Darwin Nunez 'poised for mammoth wage increase' as Liverpool flop closes on £46m Saudi Pro League move
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez is reportedly in line for a significant increase in wages should he complete a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The Premier League champions and Al-Hilal are said to have reached an agreement on a transfer fee for the Uruguayan forward. Al-Hilal are expected to pay a £46million fee, plus add-ons, to sign the forward. It represents a sizeable reduction on the £85m deal Liverpool agreed to sign the forward three years ago. According to talkSPORT, Nunez is expected to benefit financially by agreeing to join the Saudi Pro league side. The report claims Nunez will be paid a staggering £400,000-a-week at the big spending club. This would almost triple his reported £140,000-a-week wages at Liverpool. Speculation surrounding the striker has swirled for much of this year, with Al-Nassr seeing a bid rejected in January. Napoli also expressed an interest but they refused to meet Liverpool's valuation, while AC Milan are another side understood to considered an approach. Nunez had arrived at Liverpool from Benfica but has struggled to live up to his £85m transfer fee. The frontman has scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for the Reds, but has faced criticism throughout his spell for a series of missed chances. Last season, he netted just seven goals and registered four assists in his 45 appearances across all competitions. Nunez was limited to just eight starts in the Premier League during their title winning campaign. His prospects at Liverpool were furthered placed into doubt following the £79m signing of Hugo Ekitike and pursuit of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.
