Latest news with #Bilbao
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chelsea Are Locked In A Three-Way Battle For This Manchester United Attacker: Is He Worth The Fight?
In a recent report, The Telegraph claimed that Chelsea are locked in a three-way battle for Manchester United attacker Alejandro Garnacho. It has been mentioned that the Blues would have to rival Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in the race to land the Argentine playmaker this summer. Garnacho's Impressive Form In English Football Last Season Garnacho had a decent campaign with the Mancunian club recently as he managed to shine at times for them in the Premier League. The Argentine talent participated in 58 matches for Man United last season, scoring 11 times and earning ten assists in multiple competitions. The 21-year-old was an impressive performer in the opposition half based on his average of 3.44 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, he kept 34.5% of his attempts on target. Garnacho distributed the ball relatively well after completing 78.9% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via His current contract at the Mancunian club will run out in the summer of 2028 which could make it tough for the Blues to land him on the cheap this off-season. BILBAO, SPAIN – MAY 21: Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United looks dejected following defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by) Chelsea Are Locked In A Three-Way Battle For Garnacho: Is He Worth The Fight? Garnacho is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can make a few driving runs with it out in the wide areas. He can shoot the ball with venom from long range and has got the vision to create some inviting chances for his teammates to find the back of the net. However, the Argentine talent has to find a way to be more lethal in front of the opposition goal. Garnacho is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also function as a winger if needed. Garnacho would add more firepower to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca's frontline. He has what it takes to compete for a regular first-team spot at the West London club next season. At 21, Garnacho has got a promising future ahead of him and could prove to be a great signing for the Blues in the long run. With all things considered, the Argentina international would be well worth the fight, so Maresca would be wise to step up his efforts to sign him this summer.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Barcelona and Marcus Rashford: How we got here and why it makes sense
When the summer began, Barcelona knew they had to strengthen in attack. At that point, Athletic Club winger Nico Williams was not being considered, after a failed prospective move for him last year. Barca assumed their chance had passed. In sporting director Deco's mind, Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United were the two candidates. Deco preferred Diaz, but financially, that deal was difficult to pull off. Then Williams offered himself to the club, actively showing interest in playing for Barcelona, and plans changed. Deco reopened the club's doors to the Spain international, who turned 23 this month. However, when they were convinced that Williams' signing was a matter of days away, on July 4, a video appeared on Athletic's social media confirming three things: he was staying in Bilbao, he was renewing his contract there for another 10 years and, once again, he had stood up Barcelona. With that, the club closed the door definitively on the transfer and went back to considering other options. Diaz remained Deco's first choice — the Colombia winger was the player he liked the most. But Spanish champions Barca cannot yet employ La Liga's 1:1 rule — whereby they can spend a euro for every euro they raise — although club sources, speaking anonymously to protect their roles, claim they are very close to achieving it. Financial constraints mean Barcelona have to work with what they can do rather than what they want to do. And there was one player who ticked all the boxes in those circumstances: Rashford. The 27-year-old England international has signed for the club on a season-long loan with the idea of playing on the left wing, although he can operate in any position up front. His signing was necessary for several reasons. One was that the coaching staff wanted more options in attack. Last season, the starting front line of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha proved very fruitful for the team. Barca were the highest-scoring team in La Liga, with 102 goals. Real Madrid were a distant second with 78. Lewandowski scored 27 and was just four short of equalling Spain's top scorer, Kylian Mbappe of Madrid. Raphinha got 18 and Yamal nine. Advertisement That first-choice forward line was clear and unshakeable, but the problem came when injuries and late season fatigue set in. Head coach Hansi Flick and his assistants felt they needed greater depth. They did not have enough confidence in Ansu Fati, who left on loan to Monaco a few weeks ago, or last summer's signing Pau Victor, and when the final stretch of 2024-25 arrived and Lewandowski was out for 17 days with a hamstring injury, Raphinha, Yamal and Ferran Torres were the only players relied on. Flick also preferred to use Raphinha in a central role and, although the Brazilian began as a left-winger, he ended up playing more in the middle than out wide. To take advantage of this profile, and bearing in mind that Torres is seen as a centre-forward to compete with Lewandowski, who turns 37 next month, allowing the Pole to be rested for some matches, Flick wanted to bring in a winger with more pace on the left. In fact, when it looked like Williams was going to sign, the way voices at Barca envisaged him fitting into their system was to drop Raphinha back to play almost as an attacking midfielder. With Rashford arriving instead, Flick has the option of doing that or allowing him to miss the occasional game. They wanted someone to fill that need, and after interest in and moves for Diaz and Williams came to nothing, Rashford emerged as the most feasible option. Deco tried to buy Diaz, but it was not a viable option, no matter how much they wanted him. Barcelona just could not afford him — he had a high salary and other financial aspects affecting registrations complicated the operation. The club are trying to save wherever they can to get back to a normal situation in terms of signing players this summer. Diaz and Williams would have been permanent signings and not loans, with the amortisation of their transfer fees (the transfer fee divided by the years of a player's contract) included in La Liga's salary cap. This is not the case with Rashford, who arrives without the need for a fee — although his registration is not guaranteed. The club are still operating above their league-imposed salary limit, meaning they cannot register any of their new signings (Rashford, goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny and the young winger Roony Bardghji) as things stand. They must make room in their wage budget by moving out high-earning players or finding significant new revenue streams. Even so, Rashford was financially viable, much cheaper than Barca's other targets, could play as a winger, and Flick liked him. Another key point was the player's desire for the move. He was desperate to play for Barcelona and, after learning of Williams' decision, made this known to the club. He was coming from a difficult personal situation at United, where he had been left without a shirt number for the coming season in a clear invitation to leave, and was enthused by the idea of becoming a Barca player. Rashford wanted to come despite knowing he may have to wait until the last minute of the summer window to actually be registered, as happened to Victor and Dani Olmo when they were signed this time a year ago. This, combined with their experiences with Williams and the contract clauses he requested to cover him in the event that he could not be registered after signing, added points in the Englishman's favour. Rashford is not the player Barcelona would have gone for under normal circumstances, but he is one who more or less fits the bill. He was not their first choice, but he suits the club's current financial situation.
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Atletico Madrid Rope In Marc Pubill, Jesus Areso Returns To Bilbao
Last Updated: The Madrid giants did not reveal how much they shelled out to rope in the 22-year-old defender Pubill from Almeria, while Osasuna's Areso will return to the Basque side Bilbao. Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid completed the signing of Marc Pubill from Almeria on Tuesday after missing out on Osasuna's Jesus Areso, who signed for Athletic Bilbao. 'Our club and Almeria have reached a deal, as long as Pubill passes his medical and signs his new contract," Atletico said in a statement. The Madrid giants did not reveal how much they shelled out to rope in the 22-year-old defender, who was previously linked to a switch to Premier League side Wolves to the tune of £13 million. Areso will return to the Basque side Athletic Bilbao after leaving their reserve side in 2021 to make the switch to Osasuna. The 26-year-old's return set the club back by 12 million euros, according to reports. 'Athletic and Osasuna have reached a deal for the transfer of the full-back Jesus Areso, who signs for the red-and-whites until June 30, 2031," said Bilbao. Athletic finished fourth in the previous season of the Spanish top-flight as Ernesto Valverde and Co. also managed to tie down Spanish star winger Nico Williams fending off interest from champions Barcelona. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨 Official: Athletic Club sign Jesús Areso until 2031
Jesús Areso will not play for Atlético de Madrid, as was suggested in recent weeks, and is moving from Osasuna to Athletic Club. The full-back signs a contract with the red-and-white team until 2031 and will be available for Ernesto Valverde's training sessions starting tomorrow. The full-back returns to Lezama, where he already played 52 matches as a player for Bilbao Athletic. He has made his mark at Osasuna with 11 assists and one goal in the 86 official matches he has played wearing their jersey. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Juan Manuel Serrano Arce - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Athletic Club submit opening offer to re-sign Aymeric Laporte
Athletic Club have already had a good summer so far, and it could soon be about to get significantly better. Nico Williams snubbed a move to Barcelona in order to sign a new 10-year contract, and he could be joined at San Mames by current Spain teammate Aymeric Laporte. Laporte, who has also been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, is set to leave Al-Nassr this summer, having already been replaced by David Hancko. A return to Europe beckons for the Spain international, and Athletic are one of the clubs said to be very keen to securing his signature. The increased interest in Laporte's services will make it difficult for Athletic to re-sign Laporte, and they are prepared to make the effort to bring him back in Bilbao. And taking this into account, they have submitted an opening verbal offer to Al-Nassr, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. Image via Cordon Press Athletic won't break the bank to re-sign Laporte It's not clear how much Athletic are offering, but regardless, it will be difficult for them to re-sign Laporte. As per Diario AS, Al-Nassr want to recover a significant portion of the €27.5m they spent to acquire him from Manchester City two years ago, with the Saudi Pro League side having no intention to agree a mutual contract termination. And if Laporte does want to return to Athletic, he will need to take a significant wage cut. He earns €25m per season at Al-Nassr, but Los Leones will not pay him anywhere close to this amount. Their idea is for him to be on a lower wage to Williams, whose new deal sees him earn approximately €10m a year. It remains to be seen whether Athletic are able to secure a dream return to San Mames for Laporte, but they are putting in the work to make it a reality.
